Cold and Hard
by Hedgemousse
Summary: What will happen when Beca is out of jail with a devilish plan? Will Amy participate in the biggest heist of all times? Ocean's eight remastered with our favorite characters
1. Chapter 1

**This is a new story inspired from the Ocean's series (you'll never guess which one). Tell me if you want it to continue ! **

**I don't own anything**

* * *

Some days, it could feel like your life wasn't under your control. Things would happen, and you just handle them as they come.

This wasn't how Amy was feeling. She was living a fairly normal life as the owner of an underground club in the Queens. People respected her and greeted her when she walked in a room. Most of the time, she was playing poker - cheating as always - and earning money by cutting vodka with water. Not very moral, but she was gaining a decent amount of cash with her traffic.

She was in control of every little cog in her club. It was her world. But, even when you were a queen in your kingdom, the doubt was always present, hidden somewhere in the back of your mind.

Tonight was one of those nights. She was watching an old movie but she wasn't really listening. Was she happy? Her situation was good and she was having fun some nights with her coworkers. But some days she didn't feel fulfilled, like something was missing. It lacked something she knew she had craved for before, like a drug. She wanted something new, the smell of an adventure, the thrill of the hustle which couldn't be satisfied by a simple poker game. She liked to gamble on a huge scale.

_Shortstack: _bring ur butt to the docks

A smile cracked on Amy's face. It has been a while since she heard from her.

She glanced around the room. The vodka was ready for the night and it was only eight thirty. She figured it was not going to be a busy night since it was Tuesday and Dave could handle it on his own. Sighing, she switched off the TV and grabbed her helmet. As she ascended the stairs, she yelled at a barman.

"Hey Dave! Going out tonight, have fun!"

He watched her with wide eyes. "Wait Am-"

She shut the door, muffling the sound of his protests. The smirk on her face was almost predatory. She typed an answer as she was getting on her motorcycle.

_Fat Amy: _Be there in five

* * *

"Becaaaa!"

"Put me down Amy!" There was no animosity in her voice but her tone was stern enough to sound like an order.

Relenting, the heavy blonde put Beca on the ground. "Sorry shorty, I got carried away."

"What happened to you? Jesus you seem even stronger than before if it's possible."

"I'm working out." The blonde gloated, rolling her biceps muscles that still seemed non existent. "Wait- why are you wearing an Armani coat?"

Beca smirked. "Glad to see you haven't lost your piercing vision. We gotta catch up but not here sweetheart. My body needs real food."

Half an hour later, there were seated on a bench in a park, a huge pizza between them.

"How was it captain?"

"Annoying. Like we were five in a cell and they couldn't stop chatting. So I got myself isolated to think clearly."

"About what?" Amy was curious about where this conversation was going. Beca took her time to enjoy her pizza before answering.

"Our new heist."

The blonde sighed heavily. She should've seen it coming.

"Hide your enthusiasm." Beca joked.

"Yeah about that… You know I really love you shorty but… I'm done with it." Amy sighed, looking at the crown of the trees. "Last time you tried something you ended up in jail. That was four years ago. In the meantime, I had to find a secure place, a stable income. We can't get away forever. You, above anyone, should understand it."

She glanced down at the brunette. She was still chewing her pizza pensively. She put her half eaten slice on the box and looked at Amy in the eye.

"Amy. I had four years to plan my revenge. Everyday, I would imagine a plan to earn enough money for the rest of my life. First I thought banks. It's clean money and it's stored in one place."

"But the Spanish already did it." Amy butted in with a knowing shrug of her shoulders.

"Amy, it's a fiction! This TV show is pure entertainment!" Beca rolled her eyes, a light smile worming its way on her face despite her words. The blonde shrugged in response, half listening to her comment. Beca took it as a sign to continue. "So then I thought casinos. We could go to Vegas, have some fun and trick some old business man to cover the expenses." She paused. "I dropped the idea because it was too cliché."

"Glad you realized it." The blonde joked. "So what?"

Beca took a deep breath. "Diamonds."

Amy arched an eyebrow, waiting for her friend to continue. "So what, you wanna rob a jewelry? You know, we've already done it and it's a pain in the ass to sell the jewels after, too easy to recognize them. Why would you do that?"

"Have you heard about the Hundred Stars Gala?" She asked, taking interest in the pizza again.

"Vaguely." Amy answered truthfully.

She glanced at Beca, who was busy eating her slice. She huffed silently. Beca always had a strange way to make her interested. She was just giving her half sentences to keep her on the hook. When it was too late to go back, Beca would give her more details, often requiring she put herself in a very dangerous situation. Everytime was similar. The worst thing in this: the Australian always caved in the end.

The brunette was licking her fingers, moaning about how good it was to eat real food again. She lifted another slice and offered it to her friend with an innocent face.

"Beca." Amy's tone was stern. "Don't play this game with me." All she got in return was a wicked grin. "What about this Gala?" She knew it was a bad idea to ask, but she was slowly giving in.

"Good question my fellow partner in crime." The other woman was still grinning and holding the slice for Amy.

"I'm not your partner anymore, Beca." She dismissed the pizza with a wave of her hand. "You're alone in this." At least, she was not going to cave without a bit of a fight. The more informations she could get now, the less surprises she'll have later.

"Have I ever disappointed you?" The brunette mocked with a false pained expression. When Amy glared at her, she continued. "So what, you're just gonna cut vodka with water for the rest of your life? Come on Ames, you're wasting your talent. You and I both know you can do better."

The Aussie didn't respond. It was the truth after all. And how did her friend knew about her traffic?

"Listen. I had four years to think about it. This isn't about living a criminal life again. One last big heist, and we'll be so loaded we'll never need to work again." She paused to let Amy take in the news. "I'm not talking about a jewelry. I'm talking about one of the most precious necklace designed by Cartier, Le Joyau. They keep it locked underground in a vault since 1935."

They locked eyes, silence flowing around them in the busy park. Amy had a bad feeling about this. At the same time, she was _really _interested. It has been too long since she'd taken part in a project like this. Beca was right, some days she hated her job. She needed the fun of the planification and the big reward they always got in the end.

"How do you take it out of the vault?" She arched an eyebrow to show she was serious - for once.

"They will bring it to us." Beca's cryptic answer came along with a smirk.

"Even if this was possible, we cannot do something like this on our own. We'll need, like, fifteen people and a million dollars." Amy reasoned.

"Only seven. And for the expenses, 10 000 will be enough."

Beca surely had time to plan this. And she was rarely wrong with numbers. So when the brunette answered quickly and with confidence, Amy had faith. The offer was really tempting and she had nothing more interesting to do.

"I'm in." Beca smile was wide and genuine this time and Amy couldn't help but to tease her a bit. "So, should I still call you captain or Shawshank is more appropriate now?"

* * *

Amy led her partner - the debate captain/Shawshank was settled in a matter of seconds by a death glare - in a depot next to the docks. It was one of her properties, the club was really doing wonders on her bank account.

"Nice place." Beca commented, looking around.

The first floor had three different spaces. One was filled with a couch and a few cushion surrounding a coffee table. On the other side of the room, there was a big round table, some poker chips still visible between the paperwork. The kitchen was behind a counter-top at the end of the room. The whole warehouse was decorated with taste - so uncommon for someone like Amy - and it was really bright. Quite surprising for a seeming old depot on the outside.

Beca walked to the table and picked up a paper. It was a bill for a local with a catching name.

"You named your club 'the Fatty's'?" Beca grinned at the blonde, who quickly took a wad of papers and stored it inside a cabinet.

"Aye captain! Bedrooms are upstairs." Beca could see some closed doors on the mezzanine. It was a big place. And a quiet one. What a nice change from the prison cells. "By the way, you never told me about that coat."

"Oh, I don't know. I just stole it." She shrugged it off.

Amy rolled her eyes. Her friend was the worst kleptomaniac alive. Or the best, she didn't know how to qualify her. She was one really talented shoplifter.

* * *

Step one: constituting a team. Beca was sure it was the most crucial part of their work. They had to find someone reliable and willing to give everything to succeed. Even with a huge paycheck, traitors could be everywhere. So, the objective was to find a person with an unstable situation. The money gained with the heist would provide them the stability they wanted.

It was risky. They had to be very careful with their choices and convince them at all costs. They couldn't afford a second choice.

"I don't get it, where can we find seven other people qualified enough to do the job?" Amy whined, setting two mugs of coffee on the table.

Beca was gathering all the magazine they just bought. "Five. We only need five other people. You and I are good enough to do some of the job." She set the magazines and went to search a folder. "As I already told you, we are going to rob someone in the Met museum. The security system is one of the best in the world." She took one of the photos she has in a folder. "Every year, a Gala is organized, it's a huge event with plenty of celebrities."

"You mean, only rich people are allowed inside." Amy corrected as she turned on her laptop.

"Exactly. So, while they're hosting the Gala, there is the Hundred Stars exhibit at the same time. Which means, the museum will have a lot of precious items displayed. Such as the crown jewelry from old kings in Europe." She took another picture out of the folder and dropped it on the table.

"Then, why do we have to get one necklace? It's easier to get the exhibit right?"

"Not quite the same Ames. Let me get to the point." Amy made a waving motion with her hand, the universal gesture for 'get on with it'. Beca only smiled at her friend. "Le Joyau is not part of the exhibit, Cartier owns it and intended to keep it in the vault as long as they can. Our mission is to convince Cartier to lend it to a celebrity."

"How?" Amy raised an eyebrow, her full attention on her partner.

It was by far their most organized heist. Or maybe the biggest. They had always worked together and never hired anyone to help them. Sometimes they asked a friend to fetch the necessary items for them but that's all.

"It's simple. If a star request the necklace, Cartier would either refuse and have a really bad image for years, or accept and Le Joyau will be walking in the museum." She put one of the images on the table. It was Le Joyau, almost six pounds of diamonds combined in the most sophisticated way. Amy emitted a low whistle at the sight.

"I like it captain. Alright then. But how is it easier than the exhibit?"

"It's a moving target. We can take it out of camera range." The brunette pointed out as she sat.

Amy smirked. "I like where this is going. So who do we need to coax first?"

"A designer. If we want to influence the decisions of the star, we need her to approve everything. She's our messenger."

"Wait a second shorty! You never said it'll be a she!"

Beca rolled her eyes. "Amy don't be ridiculous. If Cartier allows someone to wear Le Joyau, it'll be a girl."

"It could be a boy. Come on Beca, all this diamonds on a candy stick, what's not to like?" She put the photo of the necklace next to her face and started making embarrassing noises.

"You're impossible." The tiny woman shook her head and snatched the picture back.

"You mean, I'm the best partner in the world who is kindly offering food and shelter for your skinny ass." Amy wiggled her eyebrows, leaning on the table in a conspiratorial way.

"Yeah well, you know how much I appreciate that. I'll buy you an ice cream when we'll be rich." She deadpanned.

"Hell yeah you will."

Beca sighed but she was smiling. Instead of responding she put the other picture in front of the blonde. The reaction was instant.

"Holy shit! That girl is hotter than the sun in Australia!" The blonde stood straight immediately to take a closer look.

"I figured you'd say something like that." Beca snickered. "Her name is Chloe Beale and she's a model. I picked her because she is used to getting attention and because she's as dumb as her face is pretty."

"So much for the spicy hot tamale. Want to bang that Becs?" Her tone had dropped to a whisper and she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"She doesn't have a designer for the Gala yet." Beca ignored the inappropriate question. "So we need to be fast and find someone interesting for her and willing to work for us."

"Gotcha captain. Amy's on the hunt." She winked and took a magazine. She didn't call her partner on her female interests, but she could tease her another day.

An hour later, after a lot of groans and false hopes, Beca closed the lid of the laptop, exhausted.

"I can't seem to find the right one." She sighed while rubbing her temples.

"What about her?" Amy extended her arm to show the article she was reading.

The brunette took the magazine, inspecting the face on the front cover. "She seems familiar, why?"

"Emily Junk, heiress of the Junk's company. Huge affair with her parents two years ago and the whole family was ruined. She's still paying back her students loans and her last show was terrible. Self financed from a credit. According to the article, she needs more than two million dollars to repay it."

"Seems like we got our candidate." Beca smirked at her partner. Things were getting interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, I don't know if I can post this story every week but bear with me! Here's chapter two :)**

* * *

Emily Junk was upset. For the first time in her life. She had all she wanted and yet, she wanted more.

Her parents were in jail, after someone found Karen - her father - illegally transferring money to another country. Her mother was devastated as their sentence was ten years in prison. She was very close to her parents. They didn't support her when she wanted to become a designer but they gave her money and that's the most important right?

She was facing bigger problems now. Or she was just facing normal problems but being alone made everything seem more complicated. How was she supposed to make a name of her own in the fashion's world with her parents in jail and a surname like Junk?

So Emily was upset. But not for these reasons.

The bank strictly refused to lend her the money she needed to open a design store in New York. Their arguments were along the lines of 'we don't have a guarantee of a steady income' or 'your status isn't eligible'. That was bullshit - she rarely swore either. All because her parents were in prison. And now, she risked prison too if she couldn't pay back the show expenses.

"Nobody loves me!" She whined before leaving the bank.

She knew it was a childish reaction but who cares now. It's not like her parents were here to scold her and she didn't have a lot of close friends. That's why, when she got out of the taxi, she wasn't expecting visitors in front of her house.

"Hello Mrs. Junk." One of the strangers politely salutes with a big smile and a foreign accent. She had long blond hair conveniently tied in a professional bun. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you." She extended her hand to shake and Emily half-heartedly took it.

"Who are you? Journalists?"

"Fans, big fans." The other woman spoke. Emily suddenly felt crushed under her eyes. She could see who was the leader between the two strangers. She shook her hand too. "And we have an interesting proposition to make."

"What do you want?" The young heiress couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about the strangers.

"It would be better if we discuss about it inside, it can be a bit long." The blonde spoke again.

Emily mentally slapped herself. What a terrible host she was. "Of course, come inside." She opened the door while imagining her parents glare at her from afar.

Once seated around a table with a drink, the brunette - Emily still refers to her as the leader - cleared her throat.

"We know the situation already. You are afraid you'll end in prison because of your parents' debt. So we'd like to help you."

"It's very simple, and in no time you'll have more money that you can count. You could pay for the rest of your student loan, your show and at least the thirty shows to come."

Emily opened her mouth like a fish, not thinking clearly. Finally she asked how such a thing can be possible.

"As we said, it's easy. You just have to dress Chloe Beale for the Hundred Stars Gala."

"It's a joke!" The young woman exploded. She took in the very serious expressions of the women - she still didn't know their names - and shook her head. "Wait, this is not a joke. How… Why… I mean, I'm not a great designer, I have close to no chances she'll pick me for the Gala. You know there is probably a line of skilled designers ready to die for this? Don't get me wrong, I'd jump under a truck to do this but it's insane!" She paused to breathe and added like an afterthought "Are you mad?"

She was babbling and she knew it. But she was too shocked to care at the moment.

"What if we can make it happen, would you do it?"

"YES!" She exclaimed. "A hundred times yes! I'd do anything!"

The answer got two smiles in return. "We have certain terms and conditions. One of them is that you have to live with us until the end of the Gala. It sh-"

"A minute!" Emily interrupted the blonde. "What are your names again?"

* * *

The diamond was well cut. But, when you look closer, it was impure. The constitution and the color were not eligible for the price the customer wanted. Hell, it seemed almost yellow to her. With a disappointed sigh, Stacie put the rock back on the table.

"I'm sorry, this diamond is imperfect. We cannot take it above 100$." The brunette declared in her most neutral voice.

Immediately, the old lady in front of her argued vehemently about the jewel - read poor yellow rock -, her most prized possession - the useless thing she has been storing in a shelf for more than a decade - and Stacie tuned her out. It was exhausting. She had been working here for a few years, hoping to get a promotion but she was still stuck in the counter, facing hypocrite, dumb and relentless clients every day. They were unpleasant and criticized her work. And if one thing Stacie was proud of, it was how dedicated to her work she was.

Sometimes, she hitched to slap them back in their place. They were requesting her expertise and she was rarely wrong. After all, she was a small genius. After five years in college, she had to stop her studies to get money, and figured it was a laid back temporary job. At least she was less harassed than a waitress. Unfortunately, the pay was less attractive than the gorgeous tips she received at the time. And instead of drunk advances, she had to face old ladies bickering over their ancestors' treasure. She didn't know what annoyed her the most.

"If you don't like how I'm expertizing your diamond, you can do it yourself." She threw at the lady, cutting her mid sentence.

She earned a death glare and the woman took her possession harshly and left the store without saying goodbye. Which, with the classy and kitschy clothes she wore, was certainly the rudest thing she'd ever done in her whole life. Her manager, who saw the end of their exchange, approached her.

"You have to be polite, Stacie. She's one of our customers and you need to respect her."

"Yes Donald." She suppressed another sigh. This guy was ruling the place and was kind enough to keep her. Even if Stacie knew he just wanted to get in her pants and she was the best expert in the store.

"I'll let this one slide. Again." He took a menacing voice, and Stacie almost laughed cause it was so pathetic. "So, about my offer, you up to dinner tonight?"

Stacie tuned him out. She was getting pretty good at it. Letting him rant about the new restaurant in town and nodding once in a while. Seriously, this day sucked. She glanced outside. People were mingling on the street and the brunette was dying to be outside now. There was a few stands of food not far from the boutique and it was around lunch time. She loved to feel the agitation of the crowd around her, it made her feel alive. All these moving corpses, walking in different ways, taking different paths. She spotted someone standing in the middle of the crowd, unmoving and looking in her direction. The woman was wearing a pair of sunglasses but Stacie could recognize her with her eyes closed.

"Stacie. Stacie!" Reluctantly, she tore her gaze from the window and locked eyes with Donald. "You okay?"

"Lunch break?" She asked in a rush, already getting up and retrieving her coat. He nodded dumbly, too distracted by her toned body moving. She smiled gratefully at him. He must've noticed her lack of focus but didn't correct her on it. And, let's be realistic, he was too whipped to refuse her an early lunch break.

Once outside, she made a beeline for her friend. She was too excited to be paying attention to her surroundings and enjoy the crowd's energy. She swept the brunette in her arms and hugged her tight.

"Oh my God! I missed you so much!" She was almost crying. To say she was relieved to see her was an understatement.

"I missed you too nerd." Beca chuckled and allowed herself to be hugged a bit longer.

"I'm so sorry about Eric." Stacie said seriously once she let go of her embrace.

There was a pregnant pause and Stacie could feel the tension in Beca's body. "Me too." She whispers after a minute of sacred silence. She motioned for the park with her head and got a nod in return. "How's your job going Stace?"

She didn't comment on the change of subject. She knew it was a hazardous topic and she respected her friend. So she put a face and answered truthfully. "Awful. I mean, not too bad, I just never thought I'd be doing it for so long."

"I see." Beca smirked. All traces of the earlier emotions were gone. "I may have something for you. A job."

"You want me to grade some stuff?" Stacie asked, looking at her friend in the eye.

Beca smiled curiously at her, as if sizing her potential. "A little more than that." She breathed slowly. "How long would it take you to make some pieces of jewelry if the stones are already cut?"

"I'd say five or six hours, depending of the number of stones and pieces you want me to do." She answered after a moment of reflexion. "Why?"

Beca grinned and stopped in front of a kiosque in the park. She ordered three pizzas and one salad. Stacie was staring at her, intrigued and patiently waiting for an answer. Which came as their order was wrapped and they were strolling between the trees again.

"What if you don't have to work in that crappy shop anymore?" Beca let out while adjusting the food inside the bag.

Stacie assessed her friend. She was out of prison now, and with her behavior it was like nothing had changed. But she could feel something different about her. She was more confident. Before, she was always cocky and provocative but it was only a character she played, a mask to hide her real intentions. Here, walking in a park with a bag full of food at her arm - Stacie knew she had quite an appetite for a small body but three pizzas seriously? -, she seemed to know where she was going. Like she had found a purpose for her life.

And Stacie was far from dumb. This calm faith had something to do with the offer. She wouldn't disturb Stacie and ask her to quit her job if she hadn't a solid plan in mind. It could be anything, dangerous and illegal but Beca was believing in it.

So when they locked eyes, Stacie could only accept her invitation and embrace her new exciting, unknown job.

"Less."

* * *

"Hey Ames. This is Stacie, our expert in jewels. Stacie, this is Amy, my partner."

"Nice to meet you." Amy spoke from the couch, sounding distracted. As the two brunettes got closer, they saw another head popping out of the couch. The blonde stood and introduced the other woman with a sarcastic tone. "May I introduce you to the best, the wonderful, la crème de la crème, the-"

"Spit it Amy." Beca rolled her eyes.

"-gorgeous lesbian Cynthia-Rose."

"You can call me CR." The black skinned woman chimed in, not at all bothered by the extended title.

"Nice to meet you… CR. So, what are you here for?" Beca asked politely while burning holes into Amy's head. She didn't remember agreeing for a party tonight.

Amy laughed, seeming invulnerable to Beca's glare. "We were just having an E-visit of the Metropolitan museum."

"Wait, what?" The tiny brunette looked lost.

"Is it what we are suppose to take? A bunch of vases?" CR jokingly asked.

Beca and Stacie grouped around CR, staring at the screen of her computer. Indeed, the security cameras were showing the Egyptian wing. Stacie emitted a low whistle and started to chat with the dark skinned woman. Meanwhile, Beca was ogling Amy pointing discreetly a corner of the room. They needed to talk in private. Seeing the women engrossed in their conversation, the two partners isolated themselves.

"What's that Amy? I told you we need serious persons for the job!"

"Relax!" Amy coaxed her while putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She's one of the best on the East coast. Her other clients are really satisfied of her work and-"

"Wait a minute. Other clients? Now?" Beca looked at the blonde incredulously. "Did you tell her what her cut was?"

"Of course." She nodded. Before Beca could add something, she put a finger in front of her mouth. "Listen Beca, I know this is a big deal and I'm taking it seriously. We know the risks. You asked me to find a female hacker so sorry if I'm being difficult but it's maybe the only one in the United States. So either you accept it, either you can hack the Met yourself." She spoke in a stern tone.

Beca sighed. She knew her partner was right but she didn't like to rely on anyone. "Sorry, you're right."

Without wasting time, she came back near the couch. "So, mmh Cynthia?"

"Call me CR, boss." She added in sarcastically.

At this, the brunette shot daggers into Amy's head, knowing she told her how much she hated this nickname. "Right. CR." She said, still glaring at the blonde who was smartly avoiding any eye contact.

"A little thing though. As I was saying to Stacie here," Said woman raised her eyebrows appreciatively at CR. "-your footprint is a disaster. Even my little sister can hack you."

"Oh ya know, we had a guy once…" Fat Amy started, interrupting her sentence when the light went out.

Even in the relatively dark atmosphere, they all heard CR press a button and the lights came back.

The partners exchanged a look. "Alright, clean that up." Beca summed up their thoughts.

She crossed Stacie's eyes across the couch and the tall brunette winked at her. Beca sighed internally. These girls were going to drive her mad.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we go again! Merry (late) Christmas for everyone! It has been a crazy end of the year but I will post two chapters during the holidays to make it up to you ;) **

**Don't hesitate to comment! I like to see what you are thinking and if you want the story to continue this way :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Emily arrived the day after. Being her awkward self, she turned bright red when Cynthia spoke to her and winked. Just for fun, Stacie did the same thing and her face darkened of a few shades. Even Amy was impressed at the chameleon capacity of the young heiress.

After settling down Emily's stuff, they all sat on the couch and sofas.

"Alright girls. Here's our target." Beca introduced while handing Emily a picture of Chloe Beale.

Stacie and CR leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the picture. "Damn she's hot!" CR commented, eyeing the body on display. "More exciting than old vases."

Emily was scanning the picture, focusing on the design she could create. "Good features." She threw some comments as she pictured a dress. "Eyes like Bambi. Good boobs." Stacie snorted at this, protesting while puffing her chest out. It seemed to catch CR's attention and Beca rolled her eyes. She and Amy were waiting patiently on the designer to imagine an outfit. "Banging body. Huge potential. She can take quite a lot."

"Maybe we can give her this." Beca handed another picture to the young woman. She analyzed it and shook her head. "No, it's boring. Too chic for her. She can do better than this." She put back the picture on the table.

Stacie stopped groping herself and turned her head to see the picture with a better angle. "Is that Le Joyau?" Her voice was full of wonder.

"Absolutely. Six pounds of diamond put in the finest way, stored in a vault since 1935." Beca agreed with a smirk. "Owned by Cartier."

"Damn! That's a lot." CR nodded, still looking at Chloe's picture.

"Two hundred million I think." Stacie guessed while observing Beca. The brunette was watching Emily's reactions. She trusted the young designer to convince Cartier to lend their most prized possession to a celebrity for a event. The diamond expert imperceptibly nodded. This was one hell of a plan.

"How do you get it out of the vault?" Emily finally asked. She had the same reflexion and figured it was the only solution to her financial problems now.

Fat Amy spoke for the first time. "If you insist on the behalf of Chloe Beale, Cartier will lend Le Joyau for the Hundred Stars Gala."

Emily contemplated her answer for a moment. She knew it was everything she could hope for, being the designer of a huge celebrity and gain a lot of money. But it was certainly not legal and risked prison, just like her parents. How disappointed will they be if she ended up in jail too?

Slowly, she looked at the women around her. Amy, a strong-willed Australian, owner of a night club. Stacie, a specialist in jewels and part-time exhibitionist. Cynthia-Rose, the best hacker you could find in the States (that's what Amy said). And finally Beca, recently out of jail (Amy's claim too) and leader of this heist. How could she not trust them? They were the best in their fields and she couldn't let them down on this plan. Together, they could accomplish great things.

"Got it. What should I do?" She asked determined.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

The young woman was regretting her choice already. As soon as she agreed to this mad plan - because in reality, it was totally forbidden and she could never fill her CV with this kind of job -, Beca and Amy put her in a taxi and they had been driving in circles for half an hour.

"We are waiting for the bait."

Emily sighed. Beca was not really talkative when she wanted to. "And what's the bait?"

Fat Amy slightly turned her head to her and smirked. "You'll see." She leaned forward and told the driver to stop here. As soon as they were out of the taxi, Beca explained the plan.

"You will seat in this restaurant. She will come and you have to recognize her. Be cool-"

"Aloof." Amy chimed in.

"Kind."

"But not too much." Amy fixed her gaze on Emily. "You're sweating."

"Yeah I sweat." Emily babbled, moving her hands in the air aimlessly. "I'm stressed, I'm not dressed enough to meet Chloe Beale right now and I don't even know what I will say to her! Should I be more like 'hi nice to meet you' or more like 'hello Miss Beale I look forward to work with you' or 'hey nigga whatcha doing'?"

Amy laughed loudly. "Alright girl calm down. And don't ever try to be a badass again, it's pathetic."

Beca rolled her eyes at her partner and took Emily's arm, forcing the panicked woman to look at her. "You are not going to meet Chloe today. This is a way to make her jealous. It's the strongest weapon to move things among the celebrities." The tall brunette took a calming breath. It made sense. "There is a tattoo on her left arm, I want you to take it, admire it, make a physical contact and your job will be done."

"And stop sweating. It's gross." Amy added. Emily stared at the two partners, jaw dropped low. "Close your fucking mouth too, you'll catch a fly."

The curse seemed to snap the brunette out of her daze. She shrugged, straightening her back just as her parents taught her. "OK. I'm ready."

Beca gently pushed her inside the restaurant, talking to the waiter for a minute before he showed her a table.

"Don't forget, physical contact. That's when we get it." Beca slipped before leaving.

"It? What's it?" Emily asked but the brunette was already gone. She was sweating again. "Oh my dear Lord, what are you doing Emily Junk?" She added quietly to herself.

A tall beauty arrived in her peripheral vision. The designer was too lost in her thoughts to notice her before she was standing in front of her table and moving a chair over to seat on the sofa next to her.

"Hi, are you Emily Junk?"

"Yes!" The brunette answered too loud for a normal answer. She cleared her throat and talked in a calmer tone "That's me."

"Good. It would've been embarrassing if it was somebody else." The woman stated.

Emily frowned slightly. What was she talking like this? This was not a sentence for a first normal meeting. She stared at her, noting the familiar features. Long dark hair, hazel eyes and a large forehead along with a proud attitude. "Oh I know you. I've seen you! I've seen you in things! You're really good!"

"Alice. Alice Dono." The woman seemed to finally acknowledge her, stretching her hand out.

Weirdly, the model was offering her left hand. Even left-handed people usually put their right hand for a handshake. Suddenly, Emily saw the tattoo on the outstretched arm. Oh right, the tattoo.

"Emily Junk. Oh, I love your tattoo! Is it a permanent one?" She said while turning the model's hand to examine the drawing.

"Of course it's a real one!" Alice huffed but let her hand out for Emily to admire. "I got it for my seventeenth birthday to piss off my parents. They couldn't stand the idea of me not getting a degree!" She laughed bitterly. "So I graduated high school and got a scholarship to study…"

It was dreadful. Horrific. When she was speaking, it was similar to listening a toddler having a crisis. And of course, the crisis itself was the color of her socks. Emily refrained her urge to roll her eyes. So, being smart, Emily tuned her out and nodded from time to time until Beca, dressed as a waitress, came to rescue her.

As they exited the restaurant, a taxi was already waiting for them. Amy congratulated her but she glared back. It was rude but a warning could've been great beforehand.

"It was awful! I can't believe you let me listen to this… this… pathetic excuse of a model! I will never ever do this again!" She exploded, ready to leave the taxi right now and go on with her miserable life.

Beca eyed her comically. "It lasted eight minutes."

The designer stared blankly at her, jaw dropped. The two partners laughed at her expression during the whole ride back.

* * *

"Are you sure we can trust her?"

Fat Amy shrugged. "Dunno. As you'll really trust a pickpocket." They exited the subway and walked around the block. "I've already heard of her, she's quite famous around here. One of the best, so they say. I don't think she's more talented than you, 'cause you're the goddess in that field. But she's handy."

"We don't need a smooth talker. The person we want has to be reliable, quiet and easily ignored. Discreet." Beca added, still skeptical about her partner's choice.

The blonde snickered loudly and cryptically said "She is the best."

Beca looked over her friend. She seemed confident about her choice. And Amy was talented enough to tell the difference between a good pickpocket and a discreet one. She followed her in silence, bearing with her very short patience.

They arrived at a market and were quickly surrounded by the crowd. Amy seemed to know where she was going. The blonde sat on a bench near the end of the market and watched intently a small booth. It wasn't really a booth, just three boxes with one serving as a table. A girl was playing a three-card trick, a very common game amongst the thieves. Beca raised an eyebrow at her partner, showing her opinion about the lack of originality. Amy shushed her, rolling her shoulders without taking her eyes of the girl.

From where they were seated, they couldn't hear what she was saying. Beca took a moment to observe the supposedly amazing pickpocket. She had the look for it. Her clothes were absolutely common, no detail remarkable. A face showed Asian features but then again, she could go anywhere without being recognised. Then she saw her hands. They were always moving. Beca understood why Amy was so captivated about her. Even with trained eyes, the brunette had some difficulties to follow all her moves.

She asked the guy to pick one and of course it wasn't the right one. Beca rolled her eyes. She could admit she was good but not extraordinary. As she saw the pickpocket hug the man, she changed her mind. As quick as it had been, she saw a brief silver reflection and recognised a watch. She had taken his watch and he didn't noticed. This was impressive.

"Not bad." She voiced her thoughts as Amy smirked at her. "We need her."

Later on they were seated on a terrace, waiting for their drinks with Lily. She was an interesting character, only speaking when she must, and always with a small voice. At first, Beca had to make her repeat at least three times before hearing her sentences. Or single words, because she really wasn't a talkative person.

"So I just have to steal one necklace." Lily summed up. The two partners had been explaining the aspects of the job to the Asian.

"A very nice one." Fat Amy butted in.

"The money is safe?"

"A hundred percent." The tiny brunette stopped her speech while the waiter put their coffees on the table. Lily nodded to Beca, thanking her for the drink.

"We will just need you to stay with us before we get into action, just to avoid last time hitches."

Amy exposed some technical aspects of the job and Lily nodded back, notifying her agreement. As they finished their drinks, the Asian threw a "Okay" before getting up and leaving. Beca call out to her when she was still on the terrace.

"Can I have my watch back?"

Lily stopped in her tracks and gave the object back reluctantly.

"And hers as well." Beca added before she could vanish out of the cafe.

"Oh come on you can't be serious." Amy joked while touching her wrist, certain that her friend was making fun of her. What a surprise when the pickpocket handed her the blue watch.

Minutes after Lily's departure, the blonde was still staring at her watch in complete disbelief.

"You know what?" she asked to her partner who was silently - but mockingly - observing her friend's behaviour. "I think our chances of success got fatted up quite significantly."

* * *

Aubrey was going through the fridge, cupboards and the bathroom, writing down everything they needed to buy. She was humming quietly to herself. The ringtone made her jump. She fetched her phone in her backpocket and answered without looking at the caller ID. She figured it had to be important, her colleagues knew not to disturb her when she was home.

"Aubrey Brown speaking."

"Bree. Nice to hear your voice again."

Aubrey's eyes opened wide as she recognized the voice speaking on the phone. "Beca Mitchell. This better be a life or death situation. I'm not willing to-"

"I'm outside."

"What?" The blonde whispered-yelled, her eyes couldn't open any further.

"Meet me in your garage."

The line went dead. Aubrey stared at her phone in disbelief for a few seconds. How dare this hobbit call her AND give her an order? She was going to give her a piece of her mind.

Looking around the kitchen, she figured they could survive a week if she forgot the tomatoes. She made her way to the garage, determined to kick Beca out as soon as possible. Her coming here was only a bad omen.

She found the small devil leaning on a pile of boxes, casually eating an ice cream. Aubrey internally rolled her eyes, an ice cream in autumn?

"What are you doing here?" Aubrey snapped - but quietly.

The brunette had a devilish smirk adorning her face. "Oh nothing, I just wanted to reconnect."

"Right. Because it's not suspicious at all. Weren't you supposed to be in jail?"

"Oh. I got out." She shrugged, still eating her ice cream slowly, almost teasingly. "So I see you're still 'working'."

"No. I'm not. Not anymore."

Beca judges her for a moment. "What a waste." She finally said.

Aubrey crossed her arms. She was definitely not happy with this impromptu visit. "So I suggest you step out of my garage before I do it myself. Believe me it won't be fun for you."

"Woah!" Beca raised her hands in a sign of surrender. As she did so, a drop of melted ice cream fell on the floor, making the blonde glare twice as hard at the invader. "Don't worry I'm not here for long. So how have you been?"

"Good." The blonde remained stoic. She got a raised eyebrow in return and developed more with a sigh. "I'm married now."

"Congratulations! I bet you are having the time of your life being coupley with your husband." Beca winked at her, making Aubrey's blood boil. Before she could explode, the brunette asked "What are you doing on weekends?"

The unexpected question had surprised Aubrey and she calmed down to consider her question. The blonde took a deep breath. She knew Beca's presence in her house was not a coincidence at all. But a part of her couldn't push her out like this. She was softer now and with her husband, she had learned to be nice with other people. So she answered truthfully.

"We like to go hiking in the forest nearby. And when we get home, we share a cup of herbal decoction before we sit and enjoy reading for the rest of the evening."

Beca burst out laughing. Aubrey immediately felt stupid for falling into a trap. Because if she knew one thing now, Beca's words were a trap.

"Keep it down will you!" Aubrey whispered at the brunette. "Charlie is taking a nap upstairs!"

Beca stopped laughing suddenly but mirth was shining brightly in her eyes. Aubrey saw it and crossed her arms in a defensive posture, challenging her to say more. Beca continued as if the glare wasn't affecting her. However, she lowered her tone because the blonde was really menacing.

"So what? You're telling me you're happy with this life? You used to be the fearless leader of the Bellas, the biggest dealing and trading organisation in Atlanta. And you think I'll believe your dream life is to end up curled up on a sofa at 6pm on a Saturday night reading? That's bullshit."

"I've changed Beca." Aubrey sighed, the memories of her previous life making her nostalgious. "I settled down. I'm married to a wonderful man who makes me happy and I have a normal job. I don't expect you to understand how this life is fulfilling me. Just know that I'm not going back to that."

"You can say fence, it's not a bad word." Beca smirked at the blonde uneasiness. "Listen, I have an offer for you."

"I told you I don't do that anymore." Aubrey took a step back, still glaring.

"You were the best, and I only need the best for this one." Beca took a step forward, refusing to let her go.

"Not interested." Aubrey shook her head.

"I think I'm going to tell you anyway." She leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Le Joyau, estimated over 200 million dollars."

They heard someone coming down in the garage and on pure instinct, they hid behind a pile of boxes. "My love, I'm going to the grocery store. Are you still coming along?"

"Y-Yes baby, I'm coming! One minute!" Aubrey answered, still hiding behind the boxes.

Beca made a gagging motion at the blonde who pushed her a bit in response.

"Honey, are you alright?"

"Yes I'm good. I'll be upstairs soon!"

The man's voice made a noise of agreement and left.

"Quite the charmer." The brunette chimed in, smirking at the absolute shock written on her friend's face. The blonde was opening and closing her mouth but no sound could be heard. For a second, Beca was afraid she was going to puke so she changed the subject. "How do you explain all these boxes to your husband?"

Aubrey closed her mouth, much to Beca's dismay - she liked to see her gaping like a fish. They locked eyes and she spoke quietly "eBay?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy New Year! To celebrate this, here is a new chapter!**

* * *

"Miss Beale!"

"Chloe! Care to comment on Vogue's headline?"

"Do you have a designer for the Hundred Stars Gala Miss Beale?"

"Can I have an autograph for my daughter?"

She slammed the door shut. A long exhale left her mouth. God this was exhausting. She leaned her back against the dark wood door. Her bodyguard approached her.

"Are you okay Miss Beale?" He inspected her, looking for an injury or a torn cloth.

"I'm fine Marc." She sighed. "And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Chloe?"

"At least one more time, Miss Beale."

Chloe closed her eyes. Marc was a dedicated bodyguard. Reliable. Convenient. But too charming. She hired him two months ago and he was doing a great job at protecting her, shielding her from the crowd. Unfortunately, she was still assaulted verbally by all the journalists and paparazzis. So, even if he was useful, she was not really happy with his little flirtatious comments.

"Marc." She fixed him sternly. "I'm home. You're dismissed."

A look of surprise answered her, but he recovered quickly and bowed solemnly in front of her. "As you wish Miss Beale. Have a great night."

He left through the door and Chloe sighed when it closed again. She was alone.

"Chlo?" A voice echoed in her house.

Well almost alone.

Flo appeared in the hall, wearing sweatpants and a loose tee-shirt. Chloe envied her outfit, so comfortable in contrast to her tight shirt and mid-thigh skirt. But when she saw her friend, she lunged forward.

"Oh my God Flo! I missed you so much!" She squealed as she trapped the smaller girl in her arms.

"You saw me this morning idiota." Flo chuckled but squeezed back with equal force.

"Yeah and it was terrible! I swear I will just model for sports brand from now on. Designers are so weird! And who will want to wear these hideous dresses?" The redhead whined. Flo only laughed back and moved them to the bedroom.

"I know I know. So go change and then we can talk about it." She pushed her gently and Chloe complied with a wink.

"Wanna join me?" Chloe purred while she opened a button of her shirt.

Flo glared at her, making the redhead burst into giggles. "Rápido!"

Twenty minutes later, they were comfortably seated in the sofa, sipping a hot chocolate with marshmallows, the remedy for a bad day.

"You know, you have a rival." Flo stated while she was scanning the newspaper.

Chloe paused mid-stretching and arched an eyebrow. With a nod she encouraged her to continue.

"Alice Dono. Her team decided to put Emily Junk as her designer and it's working. People are talking a lot about her. Her publicist is probably buying gold ingots to store them on a deserted island. In case he gets in trouble later." she shrugged.

"Who cares who's dressing her? Isn't she too old to go to the Gala? Last time she came she had this horrible egg breath, it was like she was dying inside." Chloe scrunched her nose, as if the scent was in the room.

"Claro." Flo laughed. "Pero look page 6."

She handed the newspaper to the model and waited patiently. Chloe then look at her friend. It was a bad thing for them if Alice got a popular designer. It would threaten her position of Queen of the Gala.

"Do you want me to schedule a meeting?" the Spanish girl asked. They smiled at each other for a moment. They befriended a long time ago and with their close bond, Flo could tell her decision before she spoke.

"Yes."

* * *

Back at the general headquarters of the team, Aubrey groaned in frustration. She couldn't concentrate on her paperwork with the ambiant noise next to her. She glared at the table over her shoulder but no one noticed it.

"How can you win with this hand?" CR complained. "You don't have a full flush like me."

"I'm the best, you know I cannot lose a single game." Stacie gloated.

They argued like two children before Amy came near the poker table. "You guys both lost. Lily is the best." she stated with a wink to the Asian.

The quiet woman put her cards on the table, stunning the other two with her three aces, complete with the one already on the table.

"No fucking way." CR sounded astonished.

"How did you… Oh my God you cheated!" the tall brunette pointed her finger at Lily, as if she was the devil herself. "We said no cheating!"

And the bickering went on, the poor Emily complaining she didn't understand the rules of this game: cheating okay or not okay? Her phone vibrating stopped the mid-fighting girls over the round table. She pulled it out of her pocket to see an unknown number displaying on her screen.

"What do I do?" she panicked immediately, flailing her arms in the air.

"Pick up the phone!" CR urged her. "It's maybe Chloe's manager!"

The brunette opened her mouth in pure panic. Stacie snatched the device from her hands and picked up the call.

"You are speaking to Rose, Emily Junk manager and publicist. What can I do to help you?" she asked in her most polite and sweet voice.

CR rolled her eyes next to her. She saw the flirtatious wink Stacie sent her way when she introduced herself on the phone. This woman was unstoppable. Emily offered Stacie a relieved smile. Even Aubrey got up from the couch to hear the conversation going on.

_"Nice to meet you Rose. I'm Florence speaking on the behalf of Chloe Beale. We would like to schedule a meeting with Mrs Junk as soon as possible. Let me know when it suits you."_ The voice on the speaker sounded Spanish.

All the women in the room looked at each other for a moment. Beca went out to buy some groceries because feeding seven girls was a mission on itself. They couldn't wait for her to come back and they knew what to do. Aubrey nodded and they all followed. Stacie cleared her throat.

"We would love to meet you. Is tonight okay for you? There is a small restaurant downtown who is discreet enough to avoid a crowd of journalists."

_"That would be great. Text me the address and we'll be there at 7pm. Have a good day."_

The line went dead before Stacie could answer.

"This better not be a prank." Aubrey expressed her thoughts.

Stacie shrugged and handed back the phone after sending the address. "Don't think so. They knew Emily's number." Amy pointed out.

"Well, you better hurry up Em." CR nudged the young girl. "You have a model to impress tonight."

* * *

Beca came home, hands full of groceries bags. Breathing hard, she struggled to close the heavy door. For this reason, she paused in the middle of the room, noticing the mess in their house, almost dropping the bags. There was a flurry of movement around the couch. She had to call them several times before Amy raised her head to salute her.

"Hey Shawshank! Guess what?" she grinned.

In return, Beca glared at her friend. She silently went to the fridge and put the bags next to it. "What's going on here?"

Amy motioned her hands in the air, waiting for the brunette to ask questions. Beca huffed and looked at Aubrey.

"We just got Chloe hooked." The blonde supplied, clearly not as enthusiast as the others.

"Thanks Aubrey. At least one of you is doing her job here." Beca nodded at the tall woman.

"Hey!" Stacie pipped in, having heard their exchange. "I did all the job here!"

"Clearly." CR added with a wink.

"Okay guys it doesn't matter now!" Beca cut in. "Where is Emily?"

Half an hour later, Emily, Beca and Amy were once again crammed in the back of a taxi heading to the same restaurant.

"I've seen her acting in a movie last night. She's actually really good!" Emily said in a conversational tone.

Amy sighed. The young woman had been rambling about Chloe Beale for the last hour. She was non stop talking and it could be dangerous if Emily accidentally spoke about their plan. She glanced at Beca briefly and she had her plotting face on. _That can't be good for Em._

"Remember Em. No matter what, don't compliment her. Indifference is an aphrodisiac." Beca reminded. "Little eye contact."

As the young designer was entering the restaurant, Amy nudged her partner. "What's the plan boss?"

Beca smirked and pointed to the kid's store on the other side of the street.

* * *

"Chloe! Oh Miss Beale, sorry. I didn't see you coming in." Emily blushed, tried to get up but stopped mid-action. _Oh no, I forgot! Ignore her._

Chloe didn't seem to mind the awkwardness of her greeting and chuckled lightly.

"Thank you so much for meeting me last minute." the redhead shook her beautiful hair and sat in front of her.

Emily gaped. Her hair was gorgeous. But she wasn't allowed to compliment her. So she looked down at her plate. It was easier to concentrate and to ignore her.

"I'm such an admirer of yours, I have so many of your pieces." the model continued as she was not bothered by her rudeness.

Emily's head shot up at this. _She likes my work!_ She wanted to run around the building yelling The Chloe Beale had complimented her. But as she watched her, delicately removing her vest and shaking her shoulders, she looked down again. She was falling under her charm.

Finally curiosity won. "Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah! So the search. It had not been easy. You know, I've had some designers knocking on my door. Interesting but it's too classy. Boring even. And I wanted a fresh look on it, someone who was not afraid to try…" Chloe explained.

At some point, Emily disconnected completely from the conversation. Beca and Amy were both watching her from one of the windows of the restaurant, wearing sunglasses. Amy was making a funny face while Beca remained stoic. It was not very different from their normal behavior but seeing them watching her closely was disconcerting.

"...and you seem different. Like you are immune to judgement. Above all the classic rules of design. I've been looking for a more…"

Emily had been listening for a few seconds before a movement outside caught her attention. The two partners in crime were blowing bubbles with a automatic gun. The sight was so disturbing and out of place for their characters - well mostly Beca because Amy was probably a bubble making champion in her free time - that her jaw dropped. She looked dumbfounded at them, eyes slightly squirted as if she could guess the reason behind their weird actions.

"... Hello Ms Junk?" Chloe waved her hands in front of the brunette.

Seeing no response from the designer, she turned around and nobody was at the window. Emily marveled at the speed of the two women, disappearing easily from the view of the model.

"What is going on?"

"Oh! Hum…" Emily cleared her throat. She was really uncomfortable because she hadn't been listening to her. Her mom would have frowned down at her. "Sorry." She clumsily dumped her glass on the table. Fortunately it was empty. "You were saying?"

"I am trying to hire you." Chloe sounded almost bored. "For the Gala."

Emily gasped. _Oh my Dear God it really worked._ "Great." She took one of the model hands in her own and squeezed it. "My honor."

The redhead gently removed her hand, as if she was offended by the intrusion. For an instant, Emily thought she had done a mistake. But the model smiled at her while raising her glass of champagne. "Flattered."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for the delay, life got in the way and I didn't have time to write :( I know the circumstances are not great but it means I have time to upload more!**

**I can't guarantee I'll post every week but the chapters will be longer :) The story will continue but it will be different from the movie. Tell me if you like where the story is going, I'm always open to new ideas ;) Anyway, stay safe and enjoy!**

* * *

Beca was proud of the team. They were more than qualified to do the job and they were getting together quite well. Even Aubrey was surprisingly patient and open to new ideas. Her mariage had indeed changed her for the best. She waited patiently as they got comfortable in the couch and chairs around the video projector. Every person had a good idea of their job in the heist but it was the first time they reunited and drew their roles together. The excitement was palpable in the room. Even Amy, who knew the plan, was rocking back and forth on her heels.

"So girls, we'd like to present you the hypothetical scenario." Beca pointed at the wall where she was projecting images of the museum. "We are going to Hundred Stars Gala hosted the Met, one of the most protected museum in the country. We are going to rob it, and by it I mean a very important set of diamonds that will be attending the bal. Le Joyau, on the neck of Chloe Beale, who Emily is dressing. Once Chloe is secretly on board, we get the necklace out of the vault. We take Le Joyau in the blind spot, made by CR who will also watch every move in the Gala. Stacie will cutting it in smaller pieces and we leave the Gala at different times so no one notice it. Questions?"

Fat Amy raised her hand. Beca sighed but authorized her to speak with a nod. "And the most important in this, you got twenty five million dollars on your bank account at the end of the heist AND a chance to dance with Leonardo Di Caprio if you're lucky during the Gala." She said in a conspirative tone.

"You mean… twenty five million for all of us?" Emily asked, half lost and half stunned by the planning ahead of them.

"Each." Beca confirmed.

The following silence was meditative. They exchanged glances while Amy and Beca watched. They could still refuse their offer. And now that they knew the plan it will be difficult to do it safely. Beca's eyes landed on Aubrey. Amongst them, she was the most demanding and she had the connection to screw the plan if she wanted to. To her surprise, Aubrey was the first to get up. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket and started a call. Everyone in the room was dead silent, as if a single noise could put them in jail.

"Hey sweetie, … Yes, hmm you know I have a very interesting promotion in New York and I figured I would stay there to work on the project… Yes a month… I won't be able to come home… Me too… I'll call you when I can! Bye, love you." She hung up and stared at Beca. "I'm in."

* * *

Beca breathed in the scent. It had been an hectic week with the girls forming a strange family. They were really nice and all, but the tiny brunette was overwhelmed. It was quite the opposite of her peaceful cell in jail.

Finding an excuse, she slipped out of the house and ended in this small library thankfully desert at this time of the day. Well, except an old lady reading a newspaper in a corner. Even the librarian was missing.

She took her time to breeze by the large shelves. She wasn't allowed to read back in prison. The calm atmosphere always helped her when she was plotting some new heist. She let her eyes wander over the covers and edges. A name caught her attention. Eric L'Homme. She checked the genre of the shelf: Foreign literature. She picked the book.

The flag on the top corner was undeniably French. Her heart clenched. Memories from her childhood flooded in. She was taking a German class while her brother was learning French. They loved to make fun of each other in these languages and she used to know some sentences - mostly insults - in French.

As she turned the book around, she figured it was long forgotten. She couldn't even translate the title. With a sigh, she wished he was still here. He would do silly things just to make her smile, throw bad jokes loudly in a public place to make her laugh, tease her on her height to piss her off but at the end of the day, he'll buy her a cake and tell her he was proud to be his brother.

She missed him so much. She was past her angry phase but she was still grieving. It was a slow process. And fortunately, the heist had taken her mind off it for more than a week. Weirdly, she had warmed up to the girls and felt strangely at ease with them.

"Can I help you?" A voice cut through her reverie. She snapped her head up, realizing she had been staring at the book for too long. She bore her eyes into the intruder's and her breath hitched. "Sorry I didn't mean to startle you." Her lungs froze and it was as if someone was pulling at her muscles all at once. Like she was fragile and breathing would shatter her body into small pieces. Unable to move, she lost herself in crystal blue waters.

At some point, her brain remembered how to work, and went straight to panic mode. Perfect features, warm smile, baby blue eyes and beautiful wavy red hair. It could only be Chloe Beale.

"You like Eric L'Homme? He's a good writer and fairly easy to read if you have a good French level."

Beca was aware that the other woman was speaking to her but she couldn't concentrate. Her first instinct was to hide her face, her second was to run out of this library. Unfortunately, she couldn't do either of them because she was trapped under shiny blue eyes.

"Mmh, no." She stuttered out at some point. She got an arched eyebrow back. It was playful and Beca didn't feel the judgment she expected from the woman. "I don't read French."

She felt like it was painful to speak. Putting words together was difficult. Thankfully, the redhead didn't seem to notice.

"Too bad, it's a beautiful language."

"So are you."

The redhead cheeks colored in a deep red shade. "Charmer." she retorted anyway.

Beca slapped herself mentally and managed to do a full sentence. "What are you doing here? You really look like the mannequin I saw on the ads."

"That would be me. And to answer your first question, I'm a close friend of the owner and he went out to do some shopping. I'm just here to look over his shop and make sure everyone find happiness." she pointed the shelves behind her.

"What a mission. You are very dedicated."

Beca couldn't help but notice the star was surprisingly smart. The way she moved and spoke was different out of camera range. She thought the redhead was stunning but now she was almost drooling.

"Can't just be a pretty face, can I?" The woman in question winked at the brunette. Gaining no answer, she smoothly took the lead. "Would you like to learn how to speak French? There is a lot of easy introduction books in the back."

As she spoke, Chloe stepped back and motioned to the door behind the counter. Beca nodded but fear seized her body when she realized what she had done. She was going to spend time with Chloe Beale. Their target. The main character in their heist. The person who couldn't know their identities. The person who could screw up their whole plan without noticing it.

"You coming?" The angelic voice asked from behind the counter, motioning for Beca to follow. The brunette forced her feet to go forward. "By the way, I didn't get your name."

Beca risked a look up to bore into her eyes. "Beca. Nice to meet you." Fuck. This woman certainly had a magic spell in her eyes, forcing her to tell the truth. She couldn't even lie about her name.

"A beautiful name for a cute woman, suits you well." Chloe said with a genuine tone. Beca found herself blushing. All her self control had jumped out of the window the moment she called her cute. In reality, it left way before, when she first met her eyes.

She found herself spending the rest of her afternoon with the redhead, trying to get invested in learning French and not getting to know the beautiful creature. She got home after their usual dinner time with a dumb smile adorning her features and a new contact added on her phone.

"Where have you been?" Aubrey asked the moment she opened the door.

Stacie came close to her. A devilish smile formed on her lips. "You seem… less tense."

"Told ya, she got herself a bitch." Fat Amy interjected, not moving from the couch. She was taking the whole couch while the others were dispatched on the sofas or on the floor. It was movie night. Beca would've protested if she wasn't too busy blushing.

"Ha!" Stacie pumped her fist in the air. "I was getting worried about your stamina Captain." She jokingly pushed her shoulder, making the brunette even more uncomfortable. She went to the kitchen, hoping to avoid the intrusive questions incoming.

Beca sensed someone observing her. She dared to look around the couch and discovered Aubrey's eyes fixed on her. While the others were either engrossed in the movie or still talking about her late afternoon activities, the blonde was giving her the suspicious glare.

"I hope he's not going to distract you from the objective." She stated, the threat underlying her tone.

Beca focused on the contents of the fridge, hoping her trouble was invisible. "It won't."

* * *

Getting a false necklace was harder than what Beca thought. Initially, she planned to give Stacie a bunch of false stones and let her work based on a picture. But the tall brunette has argued about it, because she needed a 3D version of the necklace and the exact weight of each stone. It was indeed harder that she thought.

Aubrey came up with an idea as they were eating lunch. "What if we can get a virtual copy of the necklace?"

"What do you mean? A picture isn't enough." CR chimed in. Stacie was looking intensely at the blonde, interested.

"No, more like a digital print." Everyone was listening. "I used it once, to take pictures of a palace we had to… mmh. Anyway, the system is really simple, you have a camera inside a pair of glasses. But it doesn't just take a 2D pictures, it can take a 'video' of your surroundings and transfer it to a small computer. The computer will analyse the dimensions of the room for example based on your height, the distance and other things. Think of a very precise GPS coordinates."

"That's it!" Stacie squealed. "Can you have the weight of the stones too?"

"Maybe, I never tried." Aubrey was proud of her idea, and the girls seemed to like it.

"That's all we got. How long will it take to have the glasses delivered?" Beca asked.

Aubrey got her phone out and start typing. The silence was religious. After a few minutes she smiled. "Three days."

* * *

"Are you ready Em?" Stacie put a reassuring hand on top of Emily's shoulder. She noticed the slight tremor of her lips and hands. She could feel the stress of the younger woman like it was her own.

The designer nodded back. "I've never asked such a big firm to lend me one of their most prized possessions. But I am a big girl and we will make it." Her voice was weak yet determined.

"Then let's go." Stacie took the lead as played the role of her assistant, introducing her to the staff, being unpleasant when they were going to slow or were asking dumb questions. It helped a lot.

Emily took her time observing the inside of the building. The Cartier store was located in a old building, furnished with taste and overwhelming in size. She was busy detailing a paint on the wall when Stacie gently grabbed her arm. "The boss is waiting for us." She mumbled.

The brunette only realized the enormity of what she was going to do when her eyes locked with the man in front of them. M. Cartier.

Stacie started to speak but was quickly interrupted.

"That necklace is valued at over 200 millions dollars. We wouldn't even know how to ensure it. It would require an new security team too." His tone was one used to deal with huge amounts of money, the cold assurance in his voice was something you couldn't argue with. For once, Emily regretted they didn't take Aubrey with them, she would've crushed the man verbally.

Stacie continued as if she couldn't sense the refusal in his words. "I'm sure you will work out all these details."

M. Cartier had a tight lipped smile. "It is not that simple. I am afraid the answer is no."

Stacie opened her mouth, but no words got out. It was the crucial part of their plan, they couldn't fail to convince him!

Emily felt bad. She couldn't even stand for herself, Stacie had done all the job from the beginning, reassuring her and speaking for her. It was part of her role of assistant but it may be too much if she didn't open her mouth at all. Her parents would be ashamed, it was her biggest project and she had to give all she had.

"Excuse me, can I be frank?" The brunette was surprised by her own voice, she was not used to sound this confident. Without letting the man answer, she continued. "I have always admired you and your work. You are one of the most prestigious jewelers in the world. But there is a whole generation out there that will mispronounce your name." She ranted, not caring if she was speaking too loud for once.

"French can be difficult." M. Cartier interjected to calm her. He had a small sarcastic smile, as if knowing to speak French made him superior to them. That was why Emily exploded.

"Non, pas vraiment _(no, not really)_. Je comprends votre point de vue _(I understand your point of view)_. Mais le Joyau ne sert pas à grand chose, enfermé dans une chambre forte, alors qu'il pourrait être vu de tous, niché dans le cou de Chloe Beale _(But Le Joyau is not useful, sitting in a vault, while it could go viral, nestled in the neck of Chloe Beale)_." The brunette ended very close to M. Cartier, almost invading his space.

Stacie remained seated, as astonished as M. Cartier was. She didn't understand a single word of her tirade but she was sure M. Cartier understood very well. When she saw him nod weakly, she refrained herself from jumping to hug Emily right there.

After discussing some other details, they obtained a visit of the vault to see the famous necklace. They went underground, following their guide for what seems to be hours. Stacie was wearing heels and she was regretting it. When he opened the box, both women's eyes were glued to the piece of art. It was amazing. Heavy. Leaking power and money.

Emily fumbled with her jacket to put on her glasses. Aubrey told her there has to be a blue light displayed on the glasses to signal the beginning of the digital print. Only there was just a red flashing light. She tapped lightly the edge of the glasses, no result. She repeated the action with more force. The gesture alerted Stacie. The tall woman leaned back and saw the red light. Their guide was looking strangely at them so Stacie asked the first thing that came to her mind.

"Very secure here." She put out her best sultry voice to mask her discomfort.

"Five feet of solid concrete." He answered politely.

"Oh wow." Stacie was very aware of the problem now. They couldn't get a signal this far underground. And they had decided to avoid microphones for this part of the mission because it wasn't necessary. They needed an idea really fast.

Emily started to cough, hoping to gain a few more seconds. The way she acted reminded Stacie of her aunt who was allergic to a lot of things, like pollen, milk, eggs, sunshine and… The idea came up suddenly.

"You said you wanted to see it in the light." She turned to Emily, like she was having a completely normal conversation. The look Emily gave her back would've been very amusing in other circumstances. She looked stunned and overwhelmed. "You said you wanted to see it in the light." Stacie repeated with an upward motion of her hand.

Emily got the hint and turned to face their guide. "Right!"

He looked at them as if they had gone mad. "There is light here."

"No no no!" Emily cut in, overly enthusiast. "The red carpet happens in the afternoon, I need real light, sunlight to see the real potential of the necklace. Yes! I need natural light. I'm afraid this is unavoidable. I must have the sun."

For the second time, Stacie wanted to hug Emily really hard. Only her could imagine something that crazy in a matter of seconds and made it believable.

They returned upstairs in a cosy room. Emily acted overeager but Stacie stepped back to observe. At least five security members were following them, not leaving them. She could only imagine how much guards Cartier will hire if Le Joyau was attending the Hundred Stars Gala. Getting it away from their attention was not going to be an easy task.

Stacie was too engrossed in her thoughts to realize Emily had started to observe the necklace, with sunlight this time. She observed the young woman stretch, as if she was just sore while she moved around the necklace. The process was working.

After a while, she removed the glasses. Stacie feared the worst, something among the lines 'the glasses are out of battery' but she smiled at the guide. "I'm done." She stated calmly.

* * *

When the two woman got back from their adventurous trip from Cartier, the rest of the team was here to cheer them.

"Whoop whoop! We're getting drunk tonight!" Amy's voice was the loudest, followed by Beca's almost as loud protests.

"No alcool here this is a place of work!"

"You did it gurls!" CR squashed both women in a bear hug. "Let's get this party started!"

"Wait wait how did it go?" Stacie asked as soon as she got out of CR embrace.

Beca motioned to Aubrey, who was near a machine. Stacie and Emily observed the process religiously. The stones were printed in 3D with a mixture of zirconium. From afar, it looked like real diamonds. Amy put a hand on Stacie's shoulder.

"Now you just have to do your job." She grinned at her.


	6. Chapter 6

**New chap! It may get a little more emotional here but it is necessary to introduce the next chapter. Tell me if you like it :) **

**Hope you're doing well and stay safe!**

* * *

Emily rubbed her hands against her jean. She was sweating. In front of her, Chloe was trying the first sketch of her dress, looking doubtful.

"I don't know, it seems like it doesn't fit me right?" Chole turned a bit, looking at her figure in the mirror.

"No no no, it is just a template, imagine the gown with all the final details I told you. First, it is going to be pink…" Emily was shuffling around, looking for any adjustments or measures she needed to take to work on the dress. She was nervous and it showed in her erratic movements.

"I know but maybe the size, I'm not sure. The waist is… And the bottom is messy too."

"Oh yes, b-but the bottom will have tiny silver patterns to make the pink-"

"It's the necklace." Chloe stated, facing the mirror.

At this, Emily looked up instantly. Sweating was not even close to describe her state now. She thought her heart leaped into her chest, stopping for a second then going back to thumping twice as fast.

"Oh no it's not the necklace!"

"It is! It's just messy and I don't picture myself walking inside the Gala with such a messy necklace!" Chloe stated very seriously.

Emily forced herself to take a deep breath. She remembered Stacie's advice 'do not let her intimidate you'. She had to stand tall and defend her choice because the success of their mission was put at risk.

She gathered Chloe's hair in one hand to clear her neck. "Look at you." She faced the model in the mirror. "You have one of the most beautiful necks in the world. If you wear a normal necklace, people would tend to look at your face or your figure but no! Your neck is beautiful! Only Le Joyau, all this diamonds, will make your neck shine like the sun. They'll look at you and say : 'this is the most wonderful neck I have ever seen!' and they won't take their eyes off you. You'll be the light of this gala."

As soon as she ended her speech, Emily felt her nervousness rise again. But she relaxed when she locked her eyes with Chloe's in the mirror. She could see how grateful she was. Emily cracked a genuine smile. This was why she liked design so much. Make people happy and accept their body. Not that Chloe Beale needed this part, she seemed comfortable enough in her skin.

"Thank you." Chloe's statement came out breathless. Emily smiled wider. Beca would be proud of her job.

* * *

"Alright girls listen up." Beca spoke up. No one moved or stopped what they were doing. "Hey!" She grabbed Amy's attention at least. She gestured until the blonde got the message and moved around the coffee table.

"Got it Shawshank." She raised her voice and put her two hands next to her mouth. "Oy bitches! Shut up and sit down Beca is trying to speak here!"

CR and Stacie stopped their banter about who'll go out to buy eggs and came around the couch. Lily immediately sat down on her spot. Emily and Aubrey raised their eyes from the table where they were working on Chloe's dress. They scurried to the sofas around the coffee table. And they remained silent.

Beca looked at them in disbelief, her eyes glancing at Amy who just stared back with her smug expression. The brunette shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Alright, thanks Amy that was great." The Australian winked back. "As I was trying to say, everyone has a role to play in this mission. But it will not only be about organisation. CR I want you to be our eyes and ears at this Gala but you'll also need to be inside at a moment."

"You sure boss? I mean, I'll do better sitting outside with a computer." CR frowned a bit.

"And I know it. But if we want the plan to work, we all need to be inside to carry Le Joyau out. So CR, when the moment comes, you'll put a wonderful gown and slip inside the Gala. Same for the others, although a tad different." Beca played with the edge of her ear spike. It distracted her from her speech. She thought about when she had gotten it. A gift of her brother. Would he be proud of her? Of her plan?

"How different?" Emily asked innocently, effectively cutting short to Beca's reverie.

"Well for you this is easy. You'll be with Chloe for the entrance and for a big part of the night. As her designer, you'll be often interviewed or just filmed by the journalists so you won't take part of the plan during the Gala. You don't want to be put in the wrong spotlight." Emily nodded and Beca continued. "Stacie, you'll be inside the kitchen and you'll do your job there."

"In front of everyone?" Stacie joked while wiggling her eyebrows in a very sensual way.

Amy snorted. "Don't put too much of a show, we need to stay discreet for once." Stacie zipped her mouth and put her hands as if she was cuffed, back straight.

Beca ignored the comment and turned to Lily. "You'll be here as a waitress. You know how to open a champagne bottle right?"

"I can do it with two hands, with one hand and even with one feet." Lily replied quietly from her spot on the floor.

"Right." Beca released a nervous chuckle. "Well try not to do this in front of everyone. Same as Stacie, discretion is our keyword. Which leads us to Aubrey, Amy and me. Aubrey, you'll be inside the Gala but I need you to be on the inside."

"That is?" Aubrey asked, dead serious.

"You are our fence. That means you supply us with everything we need and you are responsible of the final transition. You're perfect for the job."

"What job?" The uptight blonde seemed almost menacing.

Beca waited a few seconds before replying. "You'll infiltrate the Gala's organizers, you will be one of the event managers. This way, we'll have all the informations we need and if there is last minute supplies you'll be able to handle it." Aubrey remained silent. The brunette sensed her reluctance. "Aubrey, I chose you from the start, you're the only one who can make this work. You look up every detail and you are no stranger to management."

At this, Aubrey glared at her. It was kind of a non spoken agreement to not talk about your past activities or jobs. Beca knew this and didn't push further.

"Think about it, we need to know how many guards there will be, what precautions they'll take for Le Joyau and most of all, get Lily, Stacie and Amy on board."

"Wait, why me?" Amy interjected. "We never spoke about this!"

Beca's eyes shifted from one blonde to another. She smirked devilishly. "You know your way around food and drinks, am I right?"

"Yeah yeah, Tasmanian blood and all the good stuff." She lifted her belly, as if it was a proof.

"So it won't be too difficult for you to be a nutritionist and put a little additive to convince Mrs Beale to go to the restroom?"

"No one can resist my fat super powers! Of course Shawshank!" She smirked back at her partner, clapping in her hands.

"Fine I'll do it. You need me anyway." Aubrey sighed, and the girls immediately cheered around her and Fat Amy. "What about you Beca?"

They all stopped cheering to listen to Beca's answer. She was their captain after all.

"I'll… be the backup plan." Six pairs of incredulous eyes stared back at her so Beca sighed. "I'll be disguised but I have been in jail so they know my face. I can only do so much. Don't worry, I'll cover each one of you."

"Youhou for our Captain!" Emily exclaimed and all the girls begun screaming and cheering again.

Beca observed the scene a moment then joined in the screaming, turning it into a pillow fight. Best team bonding activity ever.

* * *

After the pillow fight died down and the girls too exhausted to cook dinner, they ended up ordering from a pizzeria. Beca and CR were the only ones seated at the table.

"So you want me to create a blind spot inside the Met?" CR was surfing through the cameras.

"Yes, the best place to be without being noticed is the restroom. Look around this area." Beca pointed to a zone on the mini map.

"Alright Cap." She put on the two cameras pointing to the restroom doors.

Beca knew the law forbid to film inside the restrooms for privacy reasons. It was their perfect spot. "So Lily needs 6 feet to get out the necklace. So we need a 6 feet blind spot. Here, we can still see the door. Can you move it in this direction?"

CR obeyed. "I can do it. But I'll need ten or so days. Can only move it bit by bit, if we don't want our changes to be detected."

The brunette put a hand on CR's shoulder. "You're the best."

The woman chuckled in return. "Just doing my job Cap. But thanks, I appreciate." They smiled at each other before Beca shooed her away so she can eat pizza.

The brunette went upstairs, not feeling up to a social interaction. As she sat down on her bed, she let her mind wonder. Four years in a cell can change someone. She didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing. Day by day, she got tougher, stronger, and stopped hoping. Her stay in jail taught her she couldn't trust anyone and even more the people you liked because they could see your weaknesses. And by showing how fragile you are, people abuse you, intentionally or not. She couldn't let this happen. She had time to reign over her anger but it fueled her revenge. She brooded over it during so long, she completely forget about everything else. All her actions channeled her closer to her objective. But she had never considered the 'after the heist' situation.

It was really new for Beca. Since her brother, she hadn't be able to move forward. She met a pair of blue eyes and a genuine smile and all her resolutions were gone. She needed to find a way out very soon. And she needed help for this.

She opened her nightstand drawer and picked up the only item inside, a picture. Two young adults, a man and a woman. Still innocents, smiling at the camera as if it was the best day of their lives. Beca's eyes teared up at the sight. Her brother's death had certainly wiped this innocent look from her eyes forever.

Since she started thinking about her plan, she didn't consider her happiness, and even less somebody else's. And there she was, crying over a picture and questioning all her decisions. Could she continue like this? Or should? How many persons will suffer from her choices?

She thought about the girls. This gang was so odd it was funny. And they worked so well together it was insane. At first, the simple promise of money had kept them together but now, the bond has evolved to something akin to friendship. Beca Mitchell has friends? She chuckled between her sobs. Her brother would be laughing his ass off if she told him that.

The thing was, the brunette didn't see this coming. She didn't know when she started thinking about all this. She could deny it but the truth was here. She liked these weird girls. And her meeting with Chloe had turned her world upside down. She had to trust herself to bring this plan to reality. Against the odds. Because if she had to analyse her situation, her meeting with Chloe was a sign. A sign she couldn't interpret yet. Or didn't want to?

A knock on the door surprised her and she quickly dried her eyes with her wrists.

"Hey Becs, I brought you pizza cause you didn't…" Stacie entered the room and took in her distraught state. "Hey hey Beca! What's wrong?"

Beca smiled as the brunette sat worriedly next to her, putting the plate aside. At this precise moment, the tiny woman wanted nothing more than to pour her heart out, confess all her doubts. But the only words who got out weren't planned. "I miss him." Her voice cracked as she showed her the picture she was still holding.

Stacie took the picture religiously, as if she could shatter Beca's heart by dropping it. She observed it during a full minute. "You look happy." She smiled at Beca. "And I think this is the only thing he wants. For you to be happy."

Beca knew Stacie could read her easily so she masked her emotions as she answered truthfully. "I know."

Stacie didn't comment and got up. "Well if you're hungry eat some pizza. I saved you the one with pepperoni but you know how Amy can be, if you don't eat it before tomorrow you'll never see it again." She winked, hoping to calm her captain.

Beca simply nodded with a small smile and Stacie left the room, knowing she needed some space.

* * *

As expected, Aubrey easily got the position of head manager. She got Lily and Stacie in quite easily. It was more complicated for Amy because she had to prove the direction the need to hire one. But after a long discussion, they accepted. Everything was running smoothly.

One week before the event, Aubrey came home with the table plan of the dinner. "I got this today, Emily is seated next to Chloe this is perfect."

The girls peered over the blonde's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the seats. "Holy shit! L. DiCaprio as in Leonardo DiCaprio?!" Emily squealed like a schoolgirl.

"Duh, don't think there is another L. DiCaprio famous enough to be invited to the Hundred Stars Gala." Amy teased, only to be elbowed in the ribs by Stacie.

"Respect the king please." Stacie snorted.

"Rihanna is here too! Damn I'll kill to get an autograph from her." CR whistled low.

Amy glanced at the plan briefly but a name caught her eyes. She froze in action then harshly pulled the paper to her.

"Heyy! I was just looking for an eye candy, no need to be violent!" Stacie protested.

The Australian ignored her completely while her mind was running full speed. This T. Stewart could only mean one thing. She put the paper on the table in a robotic motion and looked around for Beca. She wasn't in the kitchen of course.

"Damn it Beca, I'll have your throat." Amy mumbled.

Meanwhile, said brunette was peacefully looking at the urban scenery in front of her. She had climbed up to the roof of their depot to clear her mind. The cool breeze was vivifying. These past few days she had tried to calm down the turmoil going inside her. Her emotions were only growing and she wasn't prepared to face them. She felt guilty that she wasn't fully absorbed in the heist.

She heard heavy footsteps growing closer to where she was seated on the roof of the depot.

"What have you done Beca?" Amy's voice was dead serious, she rarely called the brunette by her name. "Do you think I am stupid?! Tom was part of your plan from the beginning!"

"What?" Beca asked while turning around to meet her eyes.

"Don't play dumb." Amy accused her with a pointed finger. "I knew there was something more than just money. You plotted your personal revenge and you put us all along with your fucking plan!"

"This is none of your business." Beca stated calmly.

"Of course this is! If you get caught, we all go down with you! Don't you have any respect for others? How can you be so cold? Never mind, you never liked anyone except Eric."

Beca was speechless. Amy knew where it hurts and just stabbed her hard. When she didn't get an answer, Fat Amy threw her arms in the air and turned around, stomping as she left. She stopped in her tracks after a few steps.

"And Chloe? Have you thought about her? Putting our most important element under his hands? You're playing a dangerous game."

"She will do just fine." Beca answered automatically, still shocked about Amy's outburst. Amy's eyes widened at her response and the brunette opened her mouth, not knowing how to take her words back. It was too late. She had answered too quickly, too sure of her words and it was suspicious for Amy.

The blonde searched for a sign on her face, but Beca wasn't open to a conversation now. Her eyebrows wrinkled. "What have you done?" The brunette stood, lips pursed and not willing to speak any further. Amy shook her head. "You know what, my ass is too precious for your little games. I'll be with you because I consider you as a friend and trust you but if there is just one thing out of place, one mistake or else, I'm out. No joke. Either Tom or Chloe are out of place, I walk away." She wiggled an aggressive finger at Beca, who nodded courtly.

With one last look, Amy entered in the building. Beca sighed audibly. She couldn't lose her partner now. She was playing on different boards, hoping no one would notice it. Unfortunately, Amy was sharper than what she let on.

She hesitated to go back inside. The girls were surely waiting for her to start eating lunch. This conversation had drained all her energy and she was feeling in a bad mood now. She knew it wasn't fun when someone was broody during a meal.

Her phone chimed.

Blue librarian: Ready for your next course this afternoon? ;) Just got out of a photo shoot, I need a brain escape :O

Beca stared at her screen for a moment. Was she willing to continue this while Amy just called her out? Looking back at the building, she couldn't find the strength to go back inside. Yeah she could chicken out sometimes.

Beca: Actually r you free for lunch? My treat

Blue librarian: Of course! Meet me in front of the library, I'll be there in 10 :D See you soon! xo

Beca: See u

She stared one last time at the building and started walking to the subway. Her thoughts kept going back to Amy's words. She should do something but she didn't know what.

* * *

Beca picked up the bag from the food truck and headed to the library. True to her words, Chloe was waiting for her, sunglasses and cap on.

"You made it!" The redhead engulfed her in a hug, ever so enthusiastic. "Ready for lunch?"

"Yeah well if you suffocate me you'll eat alone." Beca chuckled.

The brunette admired her figure for a moment after she was released. "Where do you want to go?" Chloe asked, oblivious to the dazed eyes Beca was giving her.

She cleared her throat. "Actually I figured you wouldn't want to be in a public place so I picked some burgers." She smiled sheepishly and lifted the bag she carried. "But if you want to go out it's fine too."

Chloe shook her head. Beca couldn't see her eyes behind her sunglasses but the look she was sending her was full of adoration. The little brunette was thoughtful. "Okay, get in then." She opened the door and they shuffled inside the library. Putting their coats on the counter they went to the small room backdoor with the food and settled around the table.

"So how was your day?" Beca asked politely as Chloe was putting the burgers and fries out of the bag.

"Oh well, photo shoot was great, Chanel's manager is a gem, he's really funny. But I had a call from my manager and I guess it just put me in a bad mood." She chuckled awkwardly, looking down at her fries.

"If you don't want to talk about it it's fine." Beca reassured her with a kind smile but the redhead wasn't looking.

"No! I want to but you'll think I'm stupid." Their eyes crossed during one second before she picked her burger. "I am attending the Hundred Stars Gala in a week and they set up a dining plan. Let's just say I'll have to be next to someone I don't particularly like." She sighed.

It was a good thing Chloe was eating her burger and not paying attention to the woman in front of her. Beca was livid. She knew exactly who she was talking about. And it was part of her plan. Only, hearing how stressed Chloe sounded about this situation, she wanted to comfort her and ask Aubrey to change the seats right away.

She took a fry and played with it to mask her confusion. "What-hm Who is it?" She asked hesitantly.

Chloe, oblivious to her clear discomfort, smiled at her. "Tom Stewart. He's a fitness coach and owns several casinos in America. He's the typical misogynistic jock who just happen to have a decent set of abs."

Beca snorted at this and almost inhaled the fry she was playing with. Chloe patted her on the back amused by her reaction.

"I guess you heard about him." The brunette nodded vigorously, not trusting her voice to speak. "So his publicist called my manager because apparently we'd make a great couple and great couple means a lot of money." She quoted with her hands in the air. "Very deep coming from someone who just care about his money and his reputation. Hugh, why am I seated at his table, he's so rubbish!"

Beca chuckled, gaining a pointed glare. "Sorry, it's just funny to ear you talk like this, you usually sound more… I don't know, less nerd?"

The redhead swatted her arm, making a fry fall from her hand. Beca could tell she wasn't really angry so she just smirked back. "I'm just doing my job. People want to think I am dumb because i'm pretty. If i was both then they'll get jealous." She winked at the brunette who was just biting into her burger. It was a mean gesture as Beca choked again. "Alright, alright I'll stop and let you eat in piece." She rubbed her back gently.

When she recovered, Beca took a gulp from the water bottle. "Believe me, some people are already jealous of you." She pointed the cap at her.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, a grin stretching her features. "Oh really?"

"Really. I mean, you are invited to the Hundred Stars Gala, not everyone has this privilege." She smirked.

"If I could get you in I would but they are very hard to convince in terms of "security". The guest list was pretty much decided months ago." Chloe sighed.

"No worries. I'm not a fan of big crowds and other mundane things." Beca shook her head with a smile.

They resumed eating and spoke about much lighter subjects. It made Beca feel better. Like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She had never considered sharing her thoughts with someone other than her brother. Every interaction she's had with Chloe proved the contrary.

Not wanting to go their separate ways immediately, Chloe invited her for another French lesson, only half learning seriously.

"So tell me. You know a lot about me already but I know close to nothing about you. What do you do for a living?" The redhead asked in a false accusative tone. She saw Beca lower her eyes and her stance deflated a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. If you don't want to answer it's okay." She added softly when she caught on the clear discomfort of the brunette.

"Don't apologize." Beca shook her head. "I'm not really comfortable talking about my job." Well that was a straight lie. She couldn't care less about what people think of her job. But knowing how she was a pitiful liar when it came to Chloe, she preferred to avoid the subject entirely.

The redhead shrugged it off like it was nothing. Although, all her movements stopped when an idea hit her. "You're not a stripper are you?!" She gasped.

Beca blushed profusely and stuttered out a small noise of disbelief. "Where did this even come from?"

"Dunno, but if you were, I'd totes come to one of your shows." Chloe winked and Beca's blushed turned slightly purple.

The following laugh was so contagious Beca had to join in. Later on, Beca got a call. She knew it had to be one of the girls and it brought back her discussion with Amy in memory.

She never picked up and her mood flopped a little. Chloe didn't picked any of her calls too, and it made her feel better. They were both trying to forget their responsibilities for a few hours.

At some point Chloe checked absentmindedly her phone. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" She exclaimed and instantly got up.

Beca's head snapped up at the sudden loudness. "What?"

"It's seven already and I promised to be back home before six thirty. Hugh! Flo is gonna kill me!" She groaned while packing hurriedly her things. "Sorry Beca, we can continue this another time, I really have to go. We can do a-"

"Woah stop rumbling you are wasting your breath." The brunette put a calming hand on her shoulder. "No need to excuse yourself, I lost track of time too. It passes quickly when you're having fun." She smirked and saw relief wash over Chloe's features.

However, Beca was really surprised when the redhead hugged her very tight. At first, Beca chuckled and waited for the other woman to detach from the embrace. When Chloe didn't let her go, the brunette slowly put her arms around her waist and hugged back. Almost instantly, she felt a soft sigh released into her collarbone. It sent chills down her spine.

"Thank you for today, I really needed that." Chloe said softly. She loosen her hold to watch Beca's face. "I don't know if I'll have a lot of free time this week, the preparations for the Gala are insane. But I'm only a call away if you want to talk." She grinned too wide.

"I'll remember to clear my hotline schedule to talk to you for a bit." The tiny brunette winked and Chloe giggled to the earlier reference.

They got out of the library and after a much shorter hug, they went their separate ways. As Beca was walking back to the subway station, she was sporting a massive grin. Very unusual of her.

She pulled out her phone reflexively and when she saw the missed calls, her smile faltered. The reality of her situation slapped her abruptly in the face. She was in big trouble. Seeing the state Chloe was in when she learned about the seats, about Tom Stewart, about this Gala she didn't seem really fond of… Chloe was a bubbly woman and her happiness oozed from every pore of her body, infecting the persons around her. And Beca was the cause of her sadness. Beca was deliberately putting her in a tricky situation and she realized at this moment how she has been selfish when she took this decision.

The words of Amy came back to her as a haunted sentence. _How can you be so cold?_ In frustration, she slammed her fist against the concrete wall.

"Damnit! It hurts!" She pulled her hand immediately and rubbed her wrist. Some blood was dripping from her knuckles.

Beca sighed. She was a real mess now. She fucked up and lost control of her emotions. Of the situation. She had to apologize to Amy and make things right for the mission. After all, she was responsible of the well-being of their group. As her brother always said, fake it till you make it. She'll make him proud by leading the girls to this historical heist, no matter the cost. She pushed in the back of her mind all thoughts about a certain redhead.

* * *

Chloe closed as quietly as she could, hoping to avoid the inevitable question : "Where have you been?" Only, the voice, the accent, the tone and even the angry shape of her best friend was in the same room as hers. And very real.

She turned around and sighed. She involuntary noticed that it had been a long time since she sighed like this. "I've been watching over the library, you know the one on the corner-"

"Chica, I know where the library is, but it closes at 6 and it is 7:36 so what took you so long?" Flo was not moving, blocking the way to the living room and hoping to get some answers.

Chloe passed a hand in her hair. "Nothing, I've just been busy organizing the shelves. I lost track of time, you know how I can get." She winked at her friend and hugged her briefly. "I'm gonna take a shower, don't wait for me if you're hungry!"

Flo hummed thoughtfully but didn't push further. The redhead had a tendency to play with her hair when she was nervous. Maybe she didn't want to talk about it and she respected that. Still, she promised herself she will look after her best friend. She was acting weirder than usual and as her best friend, it was her duty to make sure she didn't get hurt.


	7. Chapter 7

Four days before the Hundred Stars Gala, Aubrey received in her inbox the list of bodyguards attending the event to protect the necklace. She snorted silently, careful not to alert the colleagues around her.

Glancing around, she opened the file. Her snort died in her throat, making the noise sound like a groan. The list was terrifying. The squad leader was an army dude called Chicago - was it even a name? - and his achievements were quite impressive. Knowing a few high ranked army people, this was something they could've drool over. Another bodyguard caught her attention. He has a strong defined jaw with messy bond hair. Only his first name was written, Luke. There was no information about his profile except his career in the MI6.

Aubrey's gasp was noticed by one of her colleagues, a guy named Jack if she remembered it well.

"You alright Aubrey?" He asked sweetly.

"Fine." She glared at him for a second and he avoided her intense stare and retreated back in his working space. The blonde sighed quietly.

This was not a good sign for her. She saved the email on her phone and waited to be back in their HQ to talk to the girls.

"Yo Aub, you look tense, want a backrub?" Stacie offered when she saw the blonde's stiff figure move through the kitchen. "You know, coffee is not a good choice when you are feeling stressed, it increases your heart rate and the toxins just pile up in your muscles-"

"Where's Beca?" She interrupted her quite harshly. When she turned around, Stacie was giving her the raised eyebrow. "It's really urgent."

"Amy and her went with Em because she was stressing about the dress fitting. They should be back in half an hour tops. What got you so tense?"

CR, comfortably lying on the couch, chimed in the conversation. "You need to take a break girl. Your pacing is giving me a headache."

"I have the list of bodyguards from Cartier. This is bad."

"How bad?" Stacie approached her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, effectively cutting short to her pacing in the kitchen.

"MI6 bad."

CR whistled low and Stacie choked. "O-kay."

"I'm pretty sure these guys are killers. One of them was stationed in Iraq during five years. They are monsters." Aubrey puffed out silently. "How are we going to do this?" She fisted her hair in frustration, despite Stacie's attempts to calm her.

Beca opened the door at this precise moment. The heads of the three women already inside snapped toward the front of the depot.

"We're back!" Fat Amy exclaimed as soon as then reached the porch. Beca rolled her eyes at her partner but she noticed the new addition in the kitchen.

"Oh Aubrey. I didn't expect you to be here early." Beca commented while taking off her shoes. Amy kicked her shoes away from her feet and grumbled about the struggle.

"Because I took the rest of the day off." Aubrey cleared her throat anxiously. "I have some bad news." At this, both partners froze mid action, Beca removing her left shoe with her leg in the air and Amy putting her bra back in place. The partners looked like disheveled clowns right now. Aubrey let a chuckle escape her lips at the sight.

The sound made them move quickly and they sat around the poker table, clean for the first time in weeks. Lily appeared out of nowhere and took an empty seat. The others girls didn't even blink at her sudden appearance.

"Well, Emily is missing but we need to do an emergency meeting." The tiny brunette started. "Aubrey, go on." The blonde got her phone out and showed the email. Everyone got closer to the screen.

A religious silence followed, everyone absorbed in their reading task.

"We're in trouble." CR voiced their thoughts after they finished.

"We're in deep horse shit you mean." Amy approved. "Beca, I know I told you I have been exercising but I don't think I'm fat enough to crush them all. They're like ultra XXL sumos."

Aubrey sighed and put her head in her hands. "We could try to keep the plan as it is but it's not what we prepared for. We expected average bodyguards, easily fooled or seduced. These ones will blow your head if you even say one flirtatious word."

"I'm afraid she's right Becs." Stacie sat back in her chair. "The Hunter will not appreciate to be so powerless!" She put her hands in the air. "They must have a set of abs to match their sharp faces, if I drool in front of them will it work?" She pondered out loud, a finger coming to her mouth as she meditated on this idea.

CR complained more and the table soon turned into a full hubbub.

"Please guys calm down!" Beca slammed her hands on the table and the silence came back. She allowed a smile to stretch her face. "Sweet. So, Aubrey, thank you for the information but this is part of the plan."

"What do you-" Aubrey was silenced by a raised finger.

"This was to be expected. Le Joyau is one of Cartier's most prized possessions, so they are not taking it lightly. I'm still impressed that they got all these amazing guys but look closer." She pushed the phone back in Aubrey's direction. All eyes raised up to look at the brunette in confusion. "They are strangers, or they had been out of America for a long time. And there is only a few that were here but in reality, they come from another state. Which means, they won't recognize me. I'll still be disguised but no chance they'll be familiar with my face."

"Yeah Shawshank that's good. One problem less. But Aubrey's concern was more about the plan in general. Global point of view ya see?" Amy said nonchalantly.

"They won't get in the way because I'll take care of them. As I told you, my role is to make the job easy for you. The bodyguards won't cause you any trouble." Her eyes scanned around the table, nodding to each woman, as if reiterating her promise.

Stacie leaned forward. "Out of interest, can I ask you how you plan to 'take care' of these serial killer warriors, hm?" The loud groan that echoed in Beca's mouth only grew stronger when CR and Amy joined in the teasing, bemusedly watched by Aubrey and Lily.

* * *

Chloe relaxed in the sun as she let out a puff of air. She had missed the late breakfasts with her best friend. They would always sit on the small terrasse of their villa when it was sunny. At this moment, full belly and clear mind, she processed how lucky she was. She felt so gifted to be able to enjoy all the little things life had to offer.

"Who has you smiling like this?" She opened an eye and peered next to her. Flo was watching her with a smirk.

"I'm just realizing how happy I am. I have the job I dreamed of, my best friend by my side and I can't complain about the quality of this breakfast too." She winked lazily back.

"That wasn't my question." Chloe's breath hitched for an instant and saw Flo put her sunglasses away. "I know that look in your eyes, Chlo. And it's the first time I saw it since college. Soooo...?" She drawled out.

The redhead huffed. "Don't know what you're talking about." She turned her head back in her previous position and closed her eyes.

"Is it a guy?"

"What-" She raised her head from the sun lounger, her eyes widening comically.

"Dios míos es una chica!" Flo clapped in her hands and came close to pat her on the cheek.

"You are so not on the right way my friend." Chloe swatted her hand away.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have a tiny little crush on some chica I never heard about?" Chloe kept her eyes closed but from the tone of her best friend she guessed the enormous smirk she was sporting and maybe she was wiggling her eyebrows too.

"Go away you're shading me." When her request was greeted with silence and more shading, she groaned. "What do you want?"

"Spill. And don't lie to me."

"Fine." She huffed as she sat straighter. "I may or may not have a crush." Flo jumped up and down immediately, starting a weird dance and squealing even louder. "But!" Chloe exclaimed to calm her friend. "You are not allowed to meet her until we date."

"What? How does that makes sense? I should meet her before and warn her about the risks she-"

"Flo please." Her tone was half serious half pleading.

"Vale vale chica. No need to insist I get it. No meeting future Mrs Beale before they are making out in public."

"Flo!" Chloe barked a laugh as she swatted her friend's leg playfully as the other woman joined in. When the laugh died down, the redhead sighed profoundly. "I wish it was as easy as you think."

"Cryptic."

Chloe smiled internally. They had a very special way to communicate. When Flo needed her to talk more on a subject, she always pointed it out with one single word. And being the devoted friend she was, she always caved.

"She's… she's mysterious. I think it drew me in at the beginning. I wanted to know more about her. She recognized me but it wasn't weird at all. Then, when I started to talk about my job she instantly offered that we didn't talk about it. It was kind of cute so I agreed but that also meant I couldn't ask about hers. I have no idea where she works or what her job is."

"Problem?"

Chloe sighed and nodded at the latina. "I guess… No I know there is something she isn't telling me and I really want to know what it is. Pressuring her will lead me nowhere but we can't take a step forward together if she doesn't trust me."

"Is that how you really feel? Not trusted?"

"I mean, maybe? This is strange and amazing at once. She isn't fangirling or acting weird to impress me when she is around. She treats me like a normal human being. I guess I missed the feeling." She smiled bitterly.

Flo shrugged. "I don't see what's really wrong here but I trust your instinct. Ask her directly and you'll know. If she doesn't lie to you. But claro you'll see if she lies." They smiled at each other and were startled when the loud buzzing of the interphone rang from inside the house.

"It must be Miss Junk, get prepared I'll welcome her." Flo gestured to the inside of the house and Chloe nodded appreciatively. They were best friends but they could be very professional at the same time.

"You sure you don't want me to clean the breakfast?" A crease formed on her forehead and the hispanic girl chuckled and waved her hand in the air.

"Go and be your beautiful self, I'll take care of that."

"Thank you." She hugged her briefly and rushed upstairs.

Flo shook her head with a fond smile. She made sure the entrance was tidy enough before she buzzed Emily in. Opening the door widely, she waited for her on the porch. Flo noticed the bodyguards coming with her.

"Are you sure three bodyguards was necessary?" She asked comically when she saw her annoyed face.

"We are here to ensure the security of the necklace." One of the bodyguards answered. Flo gave him a once over but didn't comment. She led them to the private room where Chloe was waiting.

"Ahh Emily! How are you doing today my dear? God, you seem tense." Chloe instantly hugged the tall brunette and it seemed to relax her.

"Yeah well…" She chuckled awkwardly. "It's the big day! We'll see if the necklace fits the dress." She gestured behind her to one of the bodyguards who was carrying a rather large box.

With a nod, he put it on the coffee table. Fascinated, Flo, Chloe and Emily watched the whole opening process. There was a key, two locks and four codes. Four codes! Emily was sure she was sweating. Was four codes really necessary?

"Are you ready?" The bodyguard asked, having noticed their contemplative stare.

At Emily's wave of hand, he lifted the lid of the box. There was a fluttering moment. The designer had already admired the necklace before but she was still gaping at it like Chloe and Flo. The redhead was the worst, seated on the couch just in front of the box. Her mouth had opened in shock and she let a breathless 'holy crap' when she realized the true size of Le Joyau.

Seeing her reaction, Emily recovered a little and she started moving to prepare the space around the mirror. Chloe got out of her trance like state and got on the chair and waited. The same bodyguard went behind her chair to put the necklace. Emily was not sure what to do with her hands as she waited.

When he clipped the necklace in place, Chloe let out a gasp. "Oh it's cold! And heavy."

"What do you think?" The designer stepped in.

The redhead looked at her through the mirror. "It's perfect."

Emily clapped her hands excitedly and jumped a little on her spot. "Great! Let's try it with the dress now!"

The bodyguard took a step forward. "If you want to try the dress, you should remove the necklace, it'll be more comfortable." Chloe raised her hands immediately to remove the clasp. "Oh sorry Mrs Beale. You can't do it like this." He put a small object out of his pocket. "You need a special magnet."

"Oh sorry." Chloe put her hands away and let him remove the necklace. It was good nobody was looking at Emily at this precise moment because all color had drained from her face.

_A special magnet? Beca never told us about this unless… She didn't know about it!_ Her mind went blank for a second before panic rocketed through her system. She needed to talk to Beca. But she couldn't find the solution if she didn't have the clasp or the magnet to replicate it.

"Emily?" Flo put a hand on her shoulder. "We are going to try the dress."

The brunette nodded dumbly and followed the model's manager to the second changing room, leaving the bodyguards with the necklace on the other side. The redhead was speaking animatedly about Le Joyau and how it felt on her while Emily was helping her getting in the dress. The designer was relieved when Flo was chatting with her, her mind wasn't up to discussing after the magnet thing.

Faintly, she heard Flo comment about the amount of diamonds and how she will blind everyone at the Gala. Chloe retorted something about the use of sunglasses and Emily's mind stopped at this word. Sunglasses? That was the solution!

"Emily are you alright?" Chloe asked her, noticing her lack of movements.

The brunette shook her head, clearing her ideas. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired I think." Then she added like an afterthought, as if it explained everything. "I'll put my glasses on." She almost cringed at how she sounded. Nobody will believe something as huge as this. Putting your glasses on because you're tired? Not the best excuse.

Chloe smiled at her. "Oh I know. I have the exact same thing! When I am tired I put my glasses on and it's like I have an extra life. My vision gets so sharp it's amazing!" She laughed softly and Emily almost hugged her but she refrained her impulses. The model was just being nice and buying her lame excuse.

She searched for the glasses on her pocket and put them delicately on her nose. The same pair she wore at Cartier. The one with a camera in it. She lightly tapped the corner of the lens, knowing it will start to record.

"Are you feeling better?" Chloe asked, unaware of her weird gestures.

"Much. Thanks." Emily smiled back at the model. She was a bit surprised. Famous people were always very found of themselves and tended to be self-centered. Very unlike Chloe who seemed to genuinely care for her well being. Not knowing how long the recording could last, she gestured to the other room. "Should we try the ensemble?"

Chloe grinned and left the room with Flo. Emily let out a breath and whispered, hoping the recording would catch her voice now that she was alone in the room.

"There is a special magnet to open the clasp of Le Joyau, I'm not sure how it works so hopefully you get this video and find a solution."

She steeled her resolve, opening her shoulders like a real adult and stepped toward the first changing room. Her parents would be so proud of her.

* * *

Beca pulled at her hair. "Oh my God what do we do?" She hadn't planned something as vicious as this. She expected the clasp to be normal, not some high security shit. Unlike her time in jail, she had to think about a solution very quickly. They only had four days to find something.

"Also, we need to create one, because the false necklace had do be convincing." Stacie watched the video again. "This is so interesting, I never saw something like this before."

Beca put her hands on Stacie's shoulders and shook her. "Stacie! You're the brain here. Find a solution!"

Aubrey was in a deep meditative state, seeking for a similar system in her memory. CR was searching on her computer, fingers flying over the keyboard. Lily was standing on the chair, unmoving and unspeaking.

"Hum guys?" Amy spoke up tentatively. "I think I know how it works."

Beca froze immediately and Stacie as well. The noise of fingers tapping against the keyboard stopped. Aubrey's voice cut through their foggy state. "Tell us."

The blonde barked a laugh. "Ha! ya should have seen your faces!" She slapped her hand on the table.

"Not funny Ames! You are evil, I almost thought you were saying the truth for once dude." Beca groaned and clenched her hands in her hair, a clear sign of despair.

"I was beginning to think you had something akin to a brain, newt." Aubrey crossed her arms. She felt as frustrated as Beca right now. And she tended to give people terrible nicknames when she was frustrated.

"In fact, I know the system very well, peanut bag." She pointed a finger at Aubrey who frowned at the nickname. "Very simple yet very complex to design. I know the theoric stuff but I could use a hand with the conception. Hunter, you down?"

Stacie nodded. "Not a fan of magnets but we can try."

"I found some things to help if you want." CR pointed to her computer, Amy grinned at her.

"Alright team! Time to get this done!"

* * *

Two hours before the opening.

The girls were rushing around the house, not wanting to forget anything. There was a nervous energy surrounding their depot. CR was the only one seated on the poker table, checking the earpieces, seeing if she was getting a signal from all of them.

"Where is the false necklace?" Aubrey asked upstairs.

"Here! The clasp is ready!" Stacie yelled back from the couch, still in her underwear. CR eyed her figure as she got up to give the precious item to Aubrey. The black skinned woman almost rolled her eyes at the display. No wonder why she was gay.

"Stace!" Beca stopped dead in her tracks as she got out of her bedroom. "Put some clothes on, jeez." She got a wink for answer. Beca shook her head and went downstairs to watch how CR was doing. "Good?"

"Yeah Captain, all of them are working and there won't be a problem. Here you go." She handed her one. One by one, the girls came to retrieve their earpiece and ten minutes after they were ready to go. One hour left before the grand opening of the Hundred Stars Gala.

They all went their separate ways as planned. Emily had a cab waiting for her at the subway station to take her to Chloe's house, already dressed for the event. Lily took the subway to go directly inside the Met, her waitress outfit in her backpack. Amy was driving her rented car to the private parking of the museum, her status of nutritionist notified by a card. Aubrey was in the car with her, Amy would stop a few streets before the museum so they won't arrive at the same time. Stacie was waiting with CR because they had planned to go later with the van.

Beca decided to walk to the museum. Walking always helped her to clear her head and she needed to be really chill tonight. Her nerves were palpable and she focused on her steps during a full minute to calm her beating heart. They had spent so much time preparing for this event, it couldn't go wrong. Still, Beca was nervous by nature. At this precise moment, the expression 'go big or go home' has a new literal meaning.

She relinquished in her last alone moment, taking a deep breath before she activated her earpiece.

"Soundcheck girls." She waited for a few beats before talking again. "Panther?"

[Check.] CR responded immediately. It made Beca shook her head in amusement. They had chosen nicknames for the operation and it made her feel warmth inside her chest. These girls were something else.

"Hunter?"

[Check.] Stacie said. Her nickname was obvious from the beginning.

"Joker?" There was a pause on the line and Beca worried during a second.

[Yeap.] Lily's quiet answer was loud enough to hear. Beca thanked CR mentally because she had put her microphone with a higher sound take.

"Great, we can hear you Joker." They agreed to name her Joker because of her insane ability to win a poker game. It was impossible to be sure if she cheated or not but she always won. "Betty?"

[Yes Captain!] Emily's excited voice made her smile. Two days ago, CR had made a comment about her being a reincarnation of Betty Boop, so the nickname stuck. And she wore it really well.

"Are you at Chloe's already?" There was a bit of rustling on the other end of the line.

[Just out of the cab. We are still on the schedule so we should be at the red carpet in twenty.]

[We'll go now. Thanks Betty.] CR interjected and cut her earpiece, knowing the van was making a terrible noise when it started.

"Got it. Sensei?"

[Check, Hobbit.] The sarcastic tone Aubrey used was not lost on Beca who scowled. She hated her own nickname. Courtesy of Aubrey of course. And she still didn't get why she was the one with the dwarfing nickname while the blonde had the most rewarding one. Not dwelling on it, she questioned the last member of the team.

"Newt?"

[Check too Hobbit! Last but not least as they say. Those scrawny bodyguards better not approach the kitchen or I'll roast them with the best no gluten oil I can find.] Amy's voice rung very clearly in her earpiece. She could imagine her very obnoxious grin through the small device.

"Alright, no need to get so excited. Not sure where you are gonna find a non gluten oil though." She chuckled and mentally thanked her, that laugh was very welcome. She took another deep breath. "So. This is awkward. As you know, I'm not a fond of public speaking. Even if I look like I'm speaking to myself in a park." She chuckled a bit at her own silliness.

She was not used to expose her feelings like this. However, it seemed like something really important right now. "These past few weeks had been amazing. Every single woman in this team deserves her place because we all worked very hard for this project. So thank you for this. You are fantastic. And, as cheesy as it sounds, I am very happy to work with you because you're such huge nerds like me."

[Aww the Hobbit is getting soft.] Stacie cooed and it sounded very husky through the microphone.

There was various exclamations of wonder and adoration from the other girls.

[Hey partner! You forgot to mention our eternal friendship.] Amy's voice sounded a bit wavy.

There was a silence on the line. "Yeah you're right Ames. I'm really happy to be your friend too. To all of you." Her smile was stretching her lips to the point her cheeks hurt. She knew they could hear it because there was a common noise of approbation on the line.

[Thank you for trusting us Hobbit.] Beca was touched by Aubrey's words. She saw the corner of the museum at the end of the street.

[Sorry to break this intimate atmosphere, but we are nearing the museum.] Stacie stated, a pang of deception in her voice. [Joker are you inside?]

[Yes I am ready.] Lily spoke and they heard a ruffling of clothes, probably the ones in her bag.

[We are about to open the doors.] Aubrey warned in a whisper. She was already inside the museum with the other organizers.

"Good luck team." With a small prayer to her brother, Beca spoke firmly. "Showtime girls!"

* * *

**So I wrote the note for this chapter below because it'll be a long one. First of all, thank you for sticking with me and my slow updates, I'm getting old what can I say "^-^" Your support means a lot to me and it gives me a huge chunk of motivation to finish this story.**

**This chapter was hell to write. I got struck by an idea in the middle of it, and couldn't get it out of my head. I may start another story in parallel just to clear my mind and finish this one! Don't worry, I won't let this unfinished! I started writing the next chapter right away, it's going to move around a bit ;) Don't hesitate to ask if you have any requests or suggestions about this story! I'm all ears :)**

**PS: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I couldn't start the most important event of this story and cut it in two pieces... Please don't murder me :))**

**PSS: I changed my ID but I'm still the same person *creepy smile*. I'll still take an eternity to update and you have every right to kick my ass if this is not fast enough ^^ Hasta la vista amigos!**


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